Shards
by Psudocode Samurai
Summary: Part of Mr.WriterWriter's challenge 'What else is in the scroll' Naruto accidentally unleashes a set of masks that change not only his life, but that of three other women. What happens when Naruto gains the powers of the Shark Emperess, and her love?
1. Chapter 1: Accidents will Happen

Disclaimer : I don't own Naruto or Bleach. And no, this is not a real cross…or I would have put it in the damned crossover section.

A/N: End of the chapter…though I will say this uses the first, say, third of the story from Light's Last Gasp, I just liked the opener there and wanted to re-use it, may as well do it here ^_^ I'll put a page break in there to mark it for folks. If you haven't read Light then disregard and enjoy! Oh...and the formatting here seems to hate me...messed up the quote bit...HTML may fix that, but I dont know any...oh, and Tenten is to be one of the bigger players here, but there is almost nothing the Samui area on FF, so I had to put it here ^_^

* * *

_ You know…when I think back on it, I expected more._

_I mean, we had just learned how the man got his start off!_

_THE Densetsu no Same Ten'nō_

_I always thought there would be more blood…_

_ -From the personal journal of Shika no Karui_

* * *

Shards

Chapter 1: Accidents will happen….

The sun was just beginning to set as a young boy moved throughout the back alleys and darted under the eaves of stores. His task was simple, and yet it was going to be one of the most difficult he would have to do in his short life.

His task? Steal the 'forbidden scroll' that rested in the God of Shinobi's personal library. He had seen it before; on one of the many times he had been allowed to stay in the tower while his surrogate grandfather had meetings to attend to. He had always been told never to touch it, and now he knew why, apparently if you took the scroll you were allowed to bypass the academy and become a shinobi of the village without all the hassle of the final tests and dealing with so many of the other students.

It made sense, if you were good enough to get in and take it, you must be good enough to become a ninja.

He bit back a snicker as he climbed onto a rooftop that came within a mere ten feet of the outer walls of the Hokage Tower, something he always thought was foolish, even a first year student could toss a grapple that far and have it stick. Instead he aimed a bit higher, hooking one of the eves of the tower itself before he secured it to a chimney and began to shimmy across. For a moment he cursed his choice of clothing, but if he was going to get the scroll to his teacher in the required timeframe then he was going to have to hurry, so no time to change.

Glancing over the edge of the overhang he noted the animal masked guards that were idly standing watch over the front entrance, not for the first time he had to wonder how it was these guys got their ranks, he had no doubt that they were tough in a straight up fight, but even he knew that if things were being done right then you would never fight in the first place. Idly he looked over the pair and marked where the best places would be to put a kunai to either kill or disable the guards, putting to practice one of the many target and anatomy classes that he had attended, well, that he had spied on after being kicked out.

Kunai to third lumbar vertebrae, shruiken to the subclavian artery, kick to the femoral artery, the list went on, even when looking at what looked to be a young woman from behind he saw something of an overlay of targets, something that just seemed to come naturally to him after so much practice. Over twenty places from his current vantage point, while he doubted he could kill her at his skill level, he bet he could disable her.

Putting those thought out of his head he moved up to the plaster wall of the tower, the smooth surface was pristine and he ran his hand over it in appreciation before he moved on. Taking a moment he pulled out a small roll of ninja wire as well as a pair of kunai and took the time to tie them to his feet before pulling another pair. Holding his blades in his teeth for a moment he reached into one of his jumpsuits many pockets into a small pouch of chalk dust he had squirreled away and rubs a bit on his hands before taking the blades and with two sharp thrusts the blades held. Taking a moment to moved the kunai around in the hole a bit, widening it before he kicked his right foot hard into the wall at about knee high and began his accent, doing his best to make the strikes as irregular as possible, just in case anyone paying a bit more attention would wonder at the strange sounds of steel on stone.

Not for the first time he felt the urge to laugh, the kunai had been developed originally from a masonry tool, and while he didn't consider it to be the most efficient of weapons, you couldn't deny the results when you applied them back to their original purpose. Slowly the boy reached the third floor of the tower, for experience he knew that few guards patrolled up this high, most of them having been on the first and second floors, after all, if you have gotten up that far, then surely the first of the guards are dead already, right?

Slipping a small mirror from his sleeve he peered over the windowsill and had to quickly bite back a yelp of surprise as the Hokage himself moved past the window and looked to be heading down the stairs. He cursed himself for not checking earlier when he would leave the tower, after all, he had been here that very morning after he had painted the monument and could have asked then, of course at that time he didn't know he would be doing this…

Giving himself a slow count of twenty he eased back up, doing his best to ignore the burning in his thighs at the exertion of hanging on the wall like that, before he pitched himself into the tower and held a handstand for a moment so that his feet wouldn't make too much noise with the blades. Slowly he righted himself and removed the knives before slinking down the hall to his goal, the Hokage's office.

Taking a moment to spray a small amount of oil from a skin in one of his pouches on the hinges he ran a kunai along the seams of the door to check for wires before he eased the door open, the oil keeping the normally loud door silent as he moved into the dimly lit room. He moved quickly over to the study's door, thoughts of stealth forgotten for the moment as he knew that the guards would come to the outside of the door soon, now that the Hokage was headed home. Spotting his target he snatched it off its perch and just as he was about to turn he hear someone clearing his throat.

"Well well, Naruto, what could bring you to my office at this hour?"

Naruto felt a cold sweat breakout over the whole of his body as he turned slowly to see his Jiji standing before him, his arms crossed before him with his face screwed up into a glare.

"E…eheh…um…you see…. Oiroke no Jutsu!"

* * *

Naruto was panting heavily as he made his way into the forest outside of the walls of Konoha, his lungs burning from his mad flight from the tower after disabling the Hokage, not for the first time he wondered what would happen if he had worked for another village with a skill like that…and shuddered, the old man would never stand a chance…

Whipping the sweat from his brow he placed the scroll on the ground and carefully unrolled it, Mizuki-sensei said he had to bring him the scroll, he never said anything against him learning something from it before then. Taking a rock from behind a tree he used it to hold down part of its thick, heavily weathered parchment before he sat down and began to go through it.

"Let's see…Shadow Clones…damn it…my worst subject…I don't have time for this…" He further unrolled the scroll and began to skim, mumbling to himself the whole time, "'Soul Eater? I don't want my soul eaten! Pass... Egg of the King? Lame, next... Kamehameha? Who would want some dumb turtle hermit's attack? Flash Sword? That sounds neat...but I don't have a sword...though the scroll did have that dumb reverse blade thingy, never mind....Spirit gun? What the hell's a 'gun'? Next..."

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My Promised page break

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As the young man dug deeper he noticed the parchment getting older and older, the weathered paper seeming to become more brittle, the ink more and more faded. It seemed that despite the multitude of seals that were in place to keep the scroll intact that even they were no match for the ravages of time. Letting a hand skim slightly over a section of the parchment he felt his fingers seem to catch on it, yet even in the dimming light he could tell it was smooth and well worn.

Passing his fingers over it again, this time much slower, he felt the pull once more, as though something was trying to hold his hand in place, to draw him in. Looking closer he saw a badly faded bit of scrawl, not for the first time he cursed his poor reading skills, it looked as though this section was written in older styled kanji, something even the old man had trouble with from time to time.

It hadn't be used since the founding of the village.

As he skimmed further down the listing he saw what looked to be an odd symbol, something not unlike a shark, but it was arranged with other strange animal looking shapes with it to form an odd looking four pronged crest of sorts. Running his fingers gently over the symbols he felt the pull once more, this time worse than any of the others, his middle and index fingers frozen over the shark like seal.

Naruto gave an experimental tug to get his fingers free but to his great annoyance they refused to budge. _'Great, if Mizuki-sensei finds me like this I'm dead! He said bring him the scroll, not OPEN IT! Stupid, stupid, stupid…' _Finally getting fed up with being stuck he shunted chakra into his arm and pulled hard.

To Naruto's shock the chakra flowed from his hand through his fingers into the scroll, lighting up the crest with a brilliant gold flare of energy. Naruto's eyes were forced to bear slits as he tried to shield his eyes from the light, cursing his ignorance not for the first time today. That flash could be seen from Suna!

Slowly the aura faded, giving Naruto's eyes a chance to adjust to the darkness of the forest once more. Looking down at the scroll again he was shocked to see it had been rolled up, almost as though he had never even touched it, and there, almost as though they were looking back up at him, were what looked to be four bits of bone.

The young man's eyes widened in surprise at the one that seemed to be resting before the others, as though it was somehow more important than the others. All four of the items shared the same white coloring, but only the one in the front seemed to be more than just a shard, instead it looked to be a mask of some form, looking like it would easily cover up the lower part of his face, going from the bridge of his nose, sweeping just under his eyes to the curve of his jaw and well below his chin, the mask tapering to a point. Where his mouth would be were what looked to be VERY large teeth, giving the mask such a disturbing look that he was wondering if he shouldn't just take these back to the old man NOW and beg for forgiveness for unsealing something like that.

Just as he was coming to a decision Naruto almost leapt clean out of his sandals at the sound of someone landing behind him, before the person could say anything the young man fell forward in his shock, scattering the bones as his face crashed into the ground.

Right into the curve of the mask.

* * *

Iruka's day had been less than stellar. First he had break the heart of the young boy that he was coming to think of as a younger brother, then he has to ditch his date in order to join the search for said blond who had apparently committed treason by attacking the Hokage and stealing the forbidden Scroll of Sealing.

Ayame had been…less than thrilled with him. He just prayed that she had gotten rusty over the years, he didn't need the former kunoichi honing her skills on his hide anytime soon.

Now he had leapt into the small forest clearing seeing Naruto staring intently at something on the ground, strangely not the scroll, but the sound of his footfalls had startled the boy and made him do a header into the ground. The chinin winced at the painful sounding 'crunch' as he landed nose first in the hard earth. He fought with himself for a moment, it was a funny scene, Naruto, rear in the air and moaning while he himself moved to help the boy up. With a light chuckle he patted Naruto on the back in what he hoped was a comforting way, however, before he could say more, Naruto fell to his side.

* * *

Mizuki, having just arrived on the scene cursed at the fact that his 'boss' had beaten him to the clearing, the boy currently face down in the earth as the chinin was chuckling softly to himself. His mind was racing in ways that he could spin this and get Iruka to give him the scroll, maybe in the guise of letting him carry the boy…However he was shaken from his thoughts when he saw all the color drain from the scared man's face in a way that he had only seen when his girlfriend was on the warpath.

Looking to where the man was gaping he saw the kyuubi brat had fallen to his side and looked to have something attached to his face. In the dim light and from his current perch he couldn't make it out, but whatever it was the boy seemed to be struggling with it violently while the teacher was simply frozen in shock.

Iruka could do little more than stare at his charge as he clawed wildly at what looked to be a mask that was currently on the lower half of his face. The teen's muffled screams and wild eyes piercing him to his core as, even as he watched, the mask seemed to _grow_.

The mask, that at first seemed to only reach his chin, had quickly started to spread. Small plates began to form on the underside of his jaw before they swept down his throat, shredding his clothing as it formed with pulses of chakra. Naruto's back bowed to a disturbing angle as it moved further down his collar bone, seeming to pause there for a moment as it made a great, boney ridge, before it moved on. The bits of bone seeming to stop just below the junction of his collars before it split in two and swept down his chest, forming large plate like coverings. While he couldn't see it from the way the young man was writhing he could guess that his back was getting a similar treatment even as more bone swept out to cover the tops of his shoulders and to about mid-bicep.

As the bone seemed to stop growing so did Naruto's struggles, his body seeming to give an incredibly dense pulse of chakra that he was certain could be felt in the Hokage Tower. Slowly the teacher edged forward, unsure of what had happened to the blond. Taking a knee before the boy he reached out with a hesitant hand and gave his shoulder an experimental poke.

His eyes hadn't failed him…that was bone now encasing his upper torso.

Iruka shook him gently, trying to get his student to wake. No dice. He tried calling out to him, nothing. He lightly slapped one 'cheek' and cursed as one of the vicious looking teeth sliced his fingertips, leaving a crimson trail on the pristine white of the mask. He absently sucked on a fingertip as he slowly circled him. Casting a quick glance to the scroll he let out a sigh, he didn't think he could manage the boy and the scroll at the same time.

Forming a quick ram seal he was about to pulse his chakra to alert others that he had found the target when a familiar sound met his ears.

The sound of steel cutting through the air.

Iruka jumped to a low branch as three shruiken pierced the earth at his feet, his eyes darting among the trees for the thrower. There, high above him, with one of the large shruiken he was known to favor in hand, already spinning like a buzz saw, was his assistant Mizuki.

"Ah! Ah! Ah! Iruka-kun, I can't have you calling others here now, I've worked too long for this moment to have you screw it up!"

The teacher's eyes widened in shock as he looked to his long time friend. "Mizuki! What are you doing? Why are you armed like that!? This is a capture and retrieve mission!"

Idling tossing the large whirling blade from one hand to another he sneered at his 'partner' "I thought that would be simple enough to understand…I'm here to finish off the Kyuubi! Then I think I'll take the scroll to someone a bit more…deserving…"

Iruka shot a quick glance to the still teen and the scroll before cursing the fact that he only had a single brace of kunai and bolos, he didn't think he would need more to catch Naruto. "So you're the reason he took it…"

The former friend let out a bark of laughter, "Just now figuring that out Mr. 'Greatest Chunin in Konoha'? You honestly think that little nothing could come up with this on his own? I'll admit, he got in easily enough, and that was surprising, but what did you honestly think he was planning on doing with it?"

He cursed himself, he actually hadn't thought that far ahead yet, he just wanted to make sure that he was the one to catch Naruto, hoping to minimize the amount of trouble that blond was going to be in. Easing one hand behind himself he slowly made for a kunai only to be cut off by the man before him.

"Really, it doesn't matter one bit how much they love you Iruka-teme…Once I've finished with the fox I could go to any village in the world and be a hailed as a hero the likes of which would overshadow even the Fourth!"

Iruka's eyes widened slightly as he came to the realization that is one time teammate had gone completely _nuts_. "You've known Naruto for _years_Mizuki, you know he's not the fox, why are you doing this!?"

The chunin's eyes hardened as he looked at prone the teen, "Iruka…you always were too trusting…"

Iruka never saw the man's hand move, he was too focused on watching for attacks between the traitor and the student, not looking at anything that was aimed his way.

The teacher felt many things at the moment. The dull ache of his back as he was slammed into a nearby tree. The sharp burn of the enlarged shruiken that was now lodged in his gut. The sense of helplessness and shame that came from watching someone who had been your best friend stalks up to a helpless child with a knife in hand, ready to end his life. He tried to move, he really did, but the severed abdominal muscles promised he wouldn't be doing anything for a long while.

The traitor arrived next to the prone boy, a wild look in his eyes as he ran a calloused finger over the edge of his kunai, a fine bead of blood appearing on the razor thin cut on his index finger. As he made a slow circle of the blond he was absently cleaning the dirt from under one fingernail, debating on the best place to put one of his favorite bits of steel.

A happy glint entered his eyes as he knelt next to the teen, making sure that his former colleague had a perfect view of what he was about to do. The man then stooped slightly and took hold of the tattered remains of Naruto's jacket, ripping them free before running a hand almost lovingly over his stomach, the seal holding the fox at bay visible in the pale glow of the moon.

He shot one last wicked smile to Iruka before raising the kunai high, "Finally! I will finish what the Yondaime STARTED!"

The sound of steel cutting through the air filled their ears. Iruka wanted to scream, he wanted to cry, but his pain overrode everything his heart begged of it to do, he could only screw his eyes shut, not wishing to see the death of his favorite student.

"W-What…"

He opened his eyes slightly, unsure what caused the shock in the voice of the traitor. There, with eyes wide open and looking on with a chilling, unflinching, _bored_ expression was Naruto, his hand gripping the chunin's wrist as the tip of the kunai pressed gently against his abdomen.

"Mizuki-sensei…am I correct to assume that you were intending something…less than cordial with this?"

The former teacher looked at the blond in stunned silence for a long moment before shaking free of the hold, once more raising the kunai and with a roar of hate brought it down on the teen's throat.

Only to hit dirt as he tilted his head in a lazy fashion, "Interesting…it seems you were intending to set me up from the start, how…dull…"

It was unnerving enough having those blue eyes bore into you with such a look of indifference, his eyes slightly lidded, as though he were drowsy, or pained in some way, but the real thing that seemed to chill the former teacher was the fact that the face of the mask didn't move, just producing an odd echo when the teen spoke.

"Silence demon! I'll make sure you can't make it out of here alive!"

His eyes slightly narrowed as the chunin leapt away from the prone teen, his form sitting up in a slow, deliberate manner before he plucked the kunai from the soil, looking at it curiously for a moment before rising to face Mizuki.

He didn't spare his teacher a glance, but still his voice rang out. "Thank you for trying Iruka-sensei. If you can manage, signal the village. I'll deal with this one."

Iruka fought the urge to smack himself, he may not be able to move, but he still had _chakra_. At once he slapped his free hand into a ram symbol and began to pulse his chakra, the act making the traitor curse non-to-quietly.

Spotting the scroll the former teacher dashed at it, his speed surprising to the downed chunin, he had never seen Mizuki move that fast before, however, much to his further shock, a kunai found itself in the traitor's leg; making him stumble and skid into the object he was so desperate to get his hands on.

"Now, now Mizuki-sensei…I thought you knew better than to make a mistake like that against an unknown opponent…"

He scowled at the blond as he pulled his prize kunai from his leg. He had had the blade custom made for tonight, to kill the demon! Now he had to wipe his own blood from the weapon.

It would have been humbling in any other situation.

Rising to a knee the man pulled his other oversized shruiken from the back harness and began to spin the weapon, mimicking the attack that had put Iruka out of the fight. "Now I'm going to show you why I'm a chunin you MONSTER!"

Before he could even bring the weapon back to prime his throw he was frozen in fear, there was a physical aura forming around the teen, a dull gold glow at first that soon erupted into a massive pillar of energy that engulfed the whole of the area in its light. Both Iruka and Mizuki had to shield their eyes as the glow began to lessen until they could see properly again, albeit with spots in their vision.

There, looking at the kneeling man with the same dull eyes was the familiar sight of the blond prankster of Konoha, however, his overall appearance had changed to the point that it made his remaining teacher blink in surprise. His clothing had gone from the glaring orange to a pure white with black trim that, while even easier to spot, at least didn't give you a headache looking at it for more than five minutes. The clothing was rather unique in of itself. White hakama pants that let the sides of his hips show made up his legs, the ends of the leggings remaining untapped and free to move with the gentle breeze of the deepening night. Simple black sandals with white socks adorning his feet, a black obi holding the pants securely in place. His upper half gave the pair pause, it was an odd, cropped jacked that left his midriff exposed and tapered in the back, but hugged his chest tight even as the sleeves were left baggy, his hands adorned with white gloves that had black fingers in them. The jacket itself may not have gown down far on his abdomen, but it made up for that with the collar, going up high enough to almost hide the entire mask, save for a small portion that adorned his cheek bones.

However, it was the last item that made Mizuki pause, strapped horizontally across his back was a short sword from the looks of it. The thing looking to be little longer than his shoulders were wide, with a strange cross guard with shamrock like tips o it. The grip itself was covered with a black and purple woven silk, like that of a diamondback cobra, much like any katana you would find in a shop. The blade itself looked to be quite wide, something that surprised the chunin.

"That's a bit better…I was feeling naked there for a moment. Now then…" his right hand came up slowly to hook his index finger into the odd little hollow on the ends of the cross guard and with a disturbing, practiced, ease the blade began to come free, a shower of sparks framing the boy in the night. Mizuki's eyes widened slightly as the blade somehow seemed to be longer than the sheath was.

That couldn't be right…

With the blade free he gave the guard a slight tug, making the weapon twirl in midair to let the grip fall easily into his hand, the sword held from his body as though intentionally giving the traitor a good look.

His eyes said otherwise.

Both ninja looked at the sword in mild confusion, the blade looked to be…hollow? Where the core and spine of the sword, hell, even a blood groove should have been there, was just an empty space, giving the odd weapon the look of something that would shatter the moment you swung it. The blade itself was strange to behold, the weapon seemed to have two edges, like a Chinese broadsword, but curved on one side into the point, like a fulblade, its width making it look rather unwieldy.

The former Konoha nin started to laugh long and loud at the thought of the blond using the weapon. "Only the dead last would think to bring a weapon like that to this fight…DIE!"

The massive shruiken came speeding at the blond, as though being chased by a demon, the steel twirling even as it spun, making it that much harder to deflect. The look in his eyes never changed as his grip tightened on the sword and, to the shock of the two onlookers, his hand seemed to explode in a spray of blood. A spray that coalesced and filled the void in the sword, bringing the blade high above him he swung with startling speed.

"Ola Roja." The former teacher could only gape as the blood that had filled the sword seemed to shoot out of it own volition, the blade shaped wave of tissue rocketing at the shruiken faster than the projectile itself had been thrown.

Mizuki grinned at first, thinking that his shruiken would simply cut through the liquid, but to his horror the two met and seemed to explode, shards of steel and blades of blood raining through the clearing, shredding underbrush and rending trees asunder before the 'blades' went fluid once more, bathing the clearing in a nightmare of blood. The former teacher scrambled away from the blond in fear, if he could turn his very _blood_ into a weapon how could he fight him!?

"Tsk…Pathetic…Get him out of my sight."

To the pair's shock the boy turned, returning the sword to its pale, lavender sheath. Mizuki looked more than a little confused until he felt the pair of hands on his shoulders. Taking a trembling glance up his eyes widen at seeing a squad of animal masked ANBU staring down at him.

"Mizuki Mataka. You are under arrest for attempted murder of a fellow ninja of Konoha, attempting to corrupt a potential ninja of Konoha, stealing village secrets with intent to sell them to enemy powers. You are hereby bound by law. Bear! Get him out of here."

A massive man in an equally intimidating mask stepped forward to take the smaller man by his upper arms, lifting him as though he weighed no more than a pillow as the other ANBU placed a series of tags all over his body before they vanished in a swirl of leaves.

The teen turned and looked at his fallen teacher before nodding and moving to the scroll, stooping he seemed to fiddle with it for a moment before slinging it across his back and moved back to his injured friend. "Are you able to move Iruka-sensei?"

He gave a weak shake of his head, "No…he cut up my stomach something bad, I don't think I'll be up and about for a while…"

The blond gave a hesitant nod, his eyes shining in sorrow as he placed his hand in the same ram seal he had seen Iruka use a moment ago and pulsed his chakra several times, just as his teacher had done. Within a minute those in the clearing were joined by one of the masked ANBU as well as a jonin he had never seen before. The pair looked at the blond in confusion before seeing the injured teacher. A quick explanation from the chunin had them doing a bit of first aid until they could move him without further aggravating his wound and then they were off in a puff of smoke, the ANBU taking the scroll as he went.

Naruto heaved a great sigh as he turned and looked at the waning moon. Absently a hand came up to pull down the collar of the jacket before he ran his fingers along the mask. The blond turned to make his way to the tower.

It had been a hell of a night, and he knew he had a lot of explaining to do. As he walked from the woods the dull 'clack' of three other mask shards rattled at his obi, one looking somewhat like a circlet or crown, one a strange fan like piece and the last a great horn, and if they were anything like the one he had on, the coming days were going to be quite…

Interesting.

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A/N: First thing's first, for those that like my work at all, head over to LoPe21's profile and check out his story! It's a ton of fun thus far, and it took me cattle prodding his ass to get him going on it (I keeed I keeed ^_^) A K.K. (Krazy Kurenai) taking in Naruto and the insanity that follows. In addition, Whitedragon17's stories are still coming along beautifully and the man is quite receptive to feedback, have at'em!

Now on my end…

I'll say this now. Writer's block BLOWS. I'm stuck on Light's next chapter…I'm stuck in Journeys…I just want to find my muse, tie her in a chair and start feather torture until she yields all her secrets!

Anyway, as mentioned before, I had been wanting to use the previous story's opener again, as I thought it turned out quite well, and this time to bring in one of my favorite sets of baddies in manga, Harribel and her fraccion. That said, you will NOT be getting other soul reapers, no other hollows, no NOTHING. Not even spirit energy is going to be used, hence why the sword hurt Naruto to use it's attack.

Now for the info dump. I'd been wanting to do a stoic, serious Naruto for a long while, and this is my solution, now I know Harribel isn't really stoic, just serious, and for all we know she could have the BEST supervillain grin ever under that mask, but until she released her power, you never even know what she looks like *shrug*. For me, Harribel became one of my favorites when you first got that fleeting teaser glance in the manga's little cliffhanger bit of all the Arrancar, the reason?

Her eyes.

No matter what the girl actually looks like I tend to get drawn in by the eyes first and foremost, if I don't like the eyes, I can't get into it, not even a show. I know Vampire Princess Miyu, for example, is a wonderful story, but I never liked the eyes, so I can't stand to watch it (Manga is better though most of the time anyway ^_^)

The reason for the fraccion? I liked them ^_^ and they died out way to quickly in the books for my taste, didn't even really fight, just made that big bad and then died in a fire…sometimes I really hate that old man…

The prick…

I've gotten the masks picked for those that are going to get them already, using some of the girls that never seem to get much lovin', as you may have noticed from the little quote at the start of the story.

With the last chapter of Rapture, for those story hopping, many called it weird, I can only guess it's because of Anko's comment when Iruka went sailing. Really, it's just a joke to pay homage to one of my favorite books, Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy.

As to this fic I know that Hollow masks don't work that way, you don't have to tell me that, I'm a bleach fan. I'm caught up with online translations, I have all the books they have put out in English thus far, have the movies.

I know my Bleach! May Toshiro and Matsumoto have many insane babies! May Isane get over her fear of sausage and confess to her boss, I'd be happy that day, and let something magic happen so that Nel and Ichigo end up together. I don't know why, I just love the pairing…

Canon be damned! Just like with Naruto, let the pink haired bitch die in a FIRE! That said…I love the story We Are by Eroslackermicha, I hope your dad gets better mate, I lost my mum last year, it's not easy…

As for translations, if Google can be believed…and my own fading knowledge of Spanish (Hey, it's been ten years…)

Densetsu no Same Ten'nō – Legendary Shark Emperor, Tia's sword, in Spanish, is just Shark, but in the kanji form it translates to Imperial Shark Empress, but I had to have something for our boy ya?

Shika no Karui – Karui of the deer. There's one hint…

Ola Roja – Red Wave, again, her attack is different, being blue wave. But seeing as this attack had blood, I changed the name ^_^


	2. Chapter 2: Nothing is Ever Free

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, Bleach, or Shadow Skill, something you will get hints of here soon. In the words of Gir, 'I love that show…'

Shards

Chapter 2: Nothing is Ever Free

* * *

"_To think he would take to the style so well…a style born of enslaved women, born of the sorrow of the ridiculed, tyrannized and the raped. Skills that would give someone the power to overcome those that would trample another's freedom and rob them of their dignity._

_He never ceases to surprise me, this…Naruto…"_

_-Tia Harribel, Fumetsu no same wa Nyotei_

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* * *

_

"H-Hokage-sama…"

The elderly leader of the village could be seen standing before the large bay window that allowed him such a pristine view of the village he had served for the majority of his life, the slight slump to his shoulders the only real sign that he was feeling the weight of the late hour. "Yes?"

"My Lord, you have a visitor, he claims to be the young Uzumaki…but…"

The Hokage just waved the young man off with a sigh, "Send him in." He turned back to his desk and took his seat, taking a moment to steeple his fingers, he had to give a good impression of the impatient ruler after all. However, what walked into his office was not what he had expected. Where once would have been the orange clad youth he was accustomed to scolding these past fifteen years now stood a young man sporting an aura of such chilling indifference that he had to fight the urge to dispel a genjutsu. "N-Naruto?"

"Hai, Hokage-sama."

"What…what happened? Where did you get those clothes? That sword?"

"A friend."

"Who?"

"You don't know her."

His voice took on a stern edge, "Naruto…"

Chilling eyes the color of the sea stared back into deep brown, the pair stood in silence for several long moments before the elderly man saw the teen's eyes twitch slightly before he gave an almost unnoticeable nod. "Her name is Tia Harribel. As I said, you don't know her."

"Where is she from?"

"Far away."

"When did she arrive?"

"Tonight."

A fist that held shocking strength for one so old slammed into the desktop as the leader rose to his feet. "Damn it Naruto! Give me a straight answer!"

If he was shocked at the outburst he didn't show it, only cocking his head slightly to the left, "I have been."

The aged man took a deep breath, desperately trying to drive his temper back down, he hated dealing with people like this, although it was usually those that were veteran ninja giving mission briefings that would use shuck clipped answers. "Naruto-kun…why don't you start from the beginning…"

He gave another nod before launching into his tale, telling of how he infiltrated the tower at the behest of Mizuki, who had claimed that he would be able to graduate should he obtain the scroll, how he looked through the aged parchment for something to learn that may be able to cement his position as genin, the finding of the masks and the mishaps that then lead to the defeat of the traitor.

Sarutobi leaned back into his chair looking more than a bit dumbstruck, the boy had unleashed something that could be horribly dangerous and was treating the whole affair like a Nara would, indifferent and bored. "Naruto…this mask, what did it do when you fell on it."

A single blond eyebrow arched slightly as he considered his answer, a minuet passing before he seemed to have gathered his thoughts fully. "We bonded."

"Bonded?"

"Yes. While it is not typical, it seems that whatever Senju-sama did when he sealed the masks sealed the souls of those who possessed them into the remaining shards. Harribel-sama and her followers had been biding their time, attempting to gather what power they could in hopes of one day releasing themselves from the seals. However, their powers are not like our own, they cannot use chakra, so they were forced to wait. One component of their seals seemed to be blood, as when I fell I broke my nose upon impact with her mask. The blood and the chakra it contained allowed the blending to take place."

Sarutobi felt a cold sweat break out across his body, a slight trickle of it going down the back of his neck to be absorbed by the long veils of his hat, "Naruto…you said you are…bonded, yes?" He nodded, "What will happen now?"

Again his head cocked for a moment, part of the man wondered if he were thinking or actually speaking with this 'Harribel' "She has given me an…ultimatum..."

"And that would be?"

"I must find those that would be compatible for her comrades, and find a way to free her. Should I refuse, she will take over, something that could be damaging to both of us, but she wants her followers back, and will settle for nothing else."

"And you agreed!?"

"I will be equally rewarded should I succeed Hokage-sama"

Again the man rose to his feet, rounding the desk to take the boy by his shoulders, however, even as his hands came to rest they widened in shock, his shoulders were rock hard! "Naruto, what happened to you?" He squeezed a few more times, testing to see how far the strange armor seemed to go.

"Her mask spread over me not unlike how it was on her. Though I will admit, it is a shame that it covered her as much as it did…"

"Why?"

"She has a wonderful smile."

The old man simply stared into his young charge's eyes for a moment, fighting the urge to laugh, only Naruto could say something like that in this dire a situation. "Naruto, may I see this mask?"

The teen didn't spare so much as a nod, simply raising one hand to grasp the zipper at the middle of his chest, pulling up slowly. Saurtobi's eyes steadily grew wider as more of his skin was exposed, or, rather, what should have been skin. Most of his chest up through the bridge of his nose were covered in the terrifying bone. Those sadistic looking teeth when married to his cold blue eyes caused a chill to run up his spine, this was the last face you wanted to see in a dark alley…or in a bright one for that matter. "D-does it hurt?"

"No."

"Is…Is it attached?"

"Yes."

He let out a sigh before pinching the bridge of his nose, "Naruto, don't start that again…"

"Sorry Hokage-sama…Jii-Jii…with the blending came a level of…crossover…she was largely in control when we fought the teme…In time we'll even out."

He smirked at the familiar nickname that had accompanied an eye-smile; he was sure now that some part of the blond he knew was still in there. "Naruto, is there any way for me to speak to Harribel-san?"

He gave a slight shake of his head, "No, I do not know of a way that would let her out without endangering the seal further."

"Seal?" Inside, the Hokage was praying to any god that would listen that he wouldn't say-

"The mark that keeps the fox at bay."

'DAMN IT ALL TO HELL!' "N-Naruto, what are you talking about?"

"No need to feign ignorance. Harribel-sama had a confrontation with him, given a few months he will be but a memory."

Naruto fought the urge to laugh at the wide-eyed look of horror on the old man's face, "WHAT DO YOU MEAN A MEMORY!"

Naruto felt his hair being slightly blown back as his jacket ruffled in the sudden breeze, 'Huh…so that's where Iruka-sensei learned that jutsu…' "I mean just as it sounds Hokage-sama. Harribel-sama's people feed off of energy, and the fox is pure energy. Add to the fact that he is trapped behind bars and she is allowed to feed at her leisure. She estimates it will take her several months of nonstop feeding to be rid of it in its entirety; she is able to do this in part due to the nature of the seal. It appears that Yondaime-sama had intended to have a precaution in the event of mind walkers and their like. Should an uninvited mind enter my mind the seal would either instantly force them out…painfully, or attempt to integrate them into the seal, as a way of trapping them, to what end I can only speculate."

"And because the seal was designed to siphon off the fox's power and make it your own…"

"Indeed, she took advantage of the fact and increased the rate of power transfer to better feed. As a related benefited it seems that what she is devouring is becoming a part of me as much as her mask and personality have. However, as the seal is a part of me, so is she, hence the issue at hand of getting the two of us to separate." Naruto channeled a bit of chakra for a moment, allowing the seal to appear, however, at the heart of the spiral that made up the core of the seal there was now a small, circular crest, that of a shark's grinning, tooth filled, maw.

"Naruto…just how strong are you right now?"

"With my own power…low genin, the instructors did their job well, Hokage-sama. The only true ninja skill I possess at the moment are the Henge, the Kawaimi, and some weapons techniques."

He let out a low chuckle at that, "And yet you could still sneak into the tower, disable me, and steal the scroll."

For the first time that night the teen chuckled, the sound having a dull echo to it due to the mask, it would have been chilling at any other time. "That just goes to show you how…lacking…your security was. A civilian could have done the same."

The older man's face became stony, "Perhaps, but without that henge of yours then you wouldn't have gotten far."

"No?" He snapped five quick hand signs before he was engulfed in a white cloud, the voice that came forth was an oddly monotone, yet melodic voice, one that seemed to fit the mask somehow, "If any woman with a similar figure were to orchestrate the theft, the results would have been the same…" As the smoke slowly faded the Hokage had to fight the same effect that had taken him out once before. Where Naruto once stood now was a woman almost two feet taller than Naruto had been, her skin a dusky mocha that seemed to glow in the growing light of the dawn. She had the same blond hair of the teen that had once stood there though much longer and held in several loose ties, but her eyes seemed to be an entrapping green, the emerald orbs holding the same half lidded look of pain that Naruto had worn ever since entering the office. However it was her figure that almost caused the downfall of the Hokage.

For the second time that night…

Saying she was curvy would be an insult to the term, well rounded hips, a trim waist, and a generous bust that put the ninja centerfold technique to shame, a figure he had only seen surpassed by his former student. He now knew what Naruto was hinting at, if this woman had snuck in and had…enticed him, like with the henge, then he would be undone, ninja or not, her figure was lethal, a real killer.

"W-Well…lucky for me there are no such women about then…Eh?"

"Not quite…" The illusion faded once more to how Naruto pointing at the small shark crest in his seal once more, "That, Jii-Jii, was Harribel-sama's true form."

The Hokage had to fight the urge to curse, only Naruto could screw up and in the end be attached at the hip to one of the most beautiful women that the elderly leader had ever seen in all his days. Taking a moment to clear his thoughts he focused on the task at hand, "Naruto, you said that with your power you were a low genin, what did you mean by that?"

"While she is still adapting, she can allow me to use some of her techniques, although right now it is severely limited, and injures me in the process." Finally deciding he had had enough with stand, Naruto strode forward and took a seat in one of the large, overstuffed chairs. "It was one such technique that allowed me to defeat Mizuki. Had she not stepped in and taken over I would have been lost." He took a moment to re-zip his vest before he crossed one leg into a 'T' shape, looking at the Hokage as though he were bored. "Beyond my growing raw power, and the techniques she will lend me, maybe even teach me in time, I know little. I can't even make a clone. Harribel-sama believes it's due to the chakra levels I possess, however, she has yet to go through all my memories."

"And when she does?"

"She will judge me, and we will move on from there. Either I will be the dormant one, or she will aid in training me."

"Forgive me for being the one to point this out Naruto…but you failed the academy…"

"Yet you yourself were just touting my accomplishments, add to that that last year you graduated a student who was unable to do _anything_ related to the ninja arts beyond throwing a kunai and…"

"And you believe you deserve it, I can't say I disagree, although I would feel more comfortable if you knew the basic three…" He moved back behind his desk for a moment before rummaging in a drawer, only barely managing to hide the little orange book that had tried to fly out of the desk, seemingly of its own volition, before he pulled out a small blank card, and tossed it to him. "Channel a bit of chakra into that, and we will see what I can help with."

The teen channeled a bit of chakra into the paper, however, even as a tenth of that energy entered the card it seemed to simply go limp, soaked through and through as though it had been left in a full sink for a week, as the remaining flow of chakra entered it he had to drop it in surprise, as it seemed to start overflowing of its own volition, steadily soaking the floor and making the Hokage pull his robes up a bit, his eyes wide in shock.

"Let me guess…water?"

Sarutobi could only nod with a blank expression, the only time he had seen something like this happen was with his former sensei! He was too focused on the pooling water and failed to notice Naruto cock his head one once more in thought.

"According to Harribel-sama it's not surprising, her powers were all rooted in water. There is a reason we share…similarities…with sharks."

"I-I see…Tell me Naruto…what else she can teach you?" While the blond seemed to delve back into his mind the elderly man rose and moved to a nearby bookshelf, riffling through it for a specific scroll.

"If I am found worthy…then she can train me in her kenjutsu style, and from the flashes she's shown me it's not to be taken lightly… She also has several advanced elemental manipulation techniques, another skill she dubbed a 'cero' that apparently it has many forms of power to it, and is rather devastating in its own right…beyond that she knows a few techniques for high speed movement and can teach me to harden my skin to a remarkable level. However, this is all simply carrots to dangle before me, as she has yet to judge me, which will probably be tonight when I can get some rest. If I had to estimate myself, is she should train me, then I would only truly need to find someone to teach me taijutsu, genjutsu, and perhaps fuinjutsu…upon reflection I would like to take up the latter as soon as possible, as it may aid in freeing Harribel-sama and her allies, although they would still need bodies..."

Finding what he was initially looking for he tossed it over his shoulder where the blond snatched it out of the air, the Hokage turning back to him to consider his request. Naruto turned the scroll over to find its title and arched an eyebrow slightly at the name, "Mizu Bushin?"

He nodded, "Given your high level of chakra I think it would be for the best, I would consider the shadow clone, but given your affinity I think this would fit the best, go through it tonight and see if you can get it down, if you can have that technique mastered, and I do mean MASTERED, by this time tomorrow, I will pass you and you will be allowed to attend the team assignments at week's end."

Naruto seemed to stare at the scroll for a time before nodding and rising tiredly to his feet. "Hai, Hokage-sama…regardless, someone will be here tomorrow…Farewell, Jii-Jii"

The Hokage shuddered at that, in his shock at seeing the level of water affinity that the blond had he had forgotten that it was a possibility that the blond wouldn't really be coming back at all tomorrow night… "H-Hai…Naruto-kun." As the blond reached the door the old man called out once more, "Naruto?" He looked over his shoulder, not fully turning to the man, one crystal blue eye seeming to gleam in the growing light, "Be honest with her…I don't think she'll be one to judge you like many in the village. Harribel, if you're listening right now, be kind to him…his life has been hard enough as it is."

The blond didn't spare him a second glance, simply giving the same, nearly invisible nod before leaving, the door shutting quietly behind him.

* * *

The journey back to his apartment was an uneventful one, as it was still quite early and the market district was yet to open, the only people he passed were the odd late night worker for several of the warehouses and restaurants that were headed home from their evening shifts, all of which were to tired to spare the oddly dressed teen so much as a second glance. The boy in question paid little attention himself, too engrossed in his scroll to take in more than the basic paths back to his rundown apartment.

However, that was not the case for his new tenet.

It had taken the better part of the boy's discussion with the old man to block out the roars from the chakra construct known as the Kyuubi, but now that it had died down things were much better for her.

Well, as good a being trapped in a maintenance tunnel could be that is…

The blond, not for the first time, ran a hand down her cheek, the only time she had the luxury of feeling the skin of her own face was when she was in her released state, and that meant she had her life on the line.

Not really the time to consider one's looks.

She wasn't vain, she knew that much, but she did take pride in her appearance, making sure that everything was as impeccable as it could be, to be as professional as possible, and respected by her Lord.

She idly chided herself for that, even after all these years, even after his betrayal and his attempt to strike her down, she still had to stop herself from calling him that. He may have made her, given her this power…but some things could never be forgiven.

Thinking back, it was still a shock for her to suddenly feel many of the seals that held her at bay release, she didn't understand half of it yet, but she knew well enough that these humans were…unique. They all seemed to hold a power so different from her own, and yet there were parallels to the two. Both seemed to come from the soul, but where her's stopped there these being seemed to be able to combine it with the physical.

It was vexing to her.

How could she get her body back, a body that was largely formed of pure energy, when that power, fundamentally, didn't _exist_ here?

Ignoring the fact that she was bound to some odd seal that the boy had, the one that kept that beast at bay, she would have to first find a body that she could take over, preferably one that didn't already have something in it, let alone _two _some-things like this child had. Then she had to find a way to break free and 'jump' from one body to another.

No easy task.

So thrusting that aside for now, she focused on the task at hand.

The boy's test.

It was a bit disorienting for her to look into the blackness of the odd halls, massive pipes lining the walls and ceiling that seemed to pulse slightly, first blue, then red. She understood, on a fundamental level, that is was the representation of this chakra that these humans used, but seeing as she couldn't use it yet she moved on. As she fully pulled herself from the seal on the cage she was startled to feel something like a choker form on her throat, the soft, silken material matching the texture of her skin well, but she could feel the odd metal symbol slightly off center that probably had the same kanji as the paper seal she had initially encountered when they joined.

Slowly she moved through the halls, tunnels seeming to hook and curve at odd intervals, sometimes climbing, other times falling. Part of her knew that it was a maze, a way to defend the mind from intrusion, but it didn't make it any more fun for her. The dank, humid air and the fetid water were doing little for her dispossession, turning another corner she found herself back at the cage and let out a frustrated sigh.

She hated puzzles…they were so…frivolous…

Deciding to backtrack she turned back and was surprised to come face to face with a door, the weathered, rusting steel seemed a bit to convenient to be a coincidence, it seemed that, subconsciously, he wanted her to know something.

Seeing no handle she moved a hand to give an experimental push…

…and almost instantly regretted it.

The dimly lit tunnels of the boy's mind vanished to show a street lit in the pale glow of the moon. Her mind was thrown off suddenly as her perspective shifted to one much shorter as something she hadn't felt in many long years made itself known to her with a sharp thrill running up her spine.

Fear.

She felt herself glance back only to feel her eyes widen, there was one person that seemed to be stalking after her, the glint of steel flashing now and again as she was chased.

Rounding a corner and jagging behind a dumpster she felt her hands come up to cover her mouth in a desperate bid to stifle the sounds of her breathing, her eyes dancing around the alleyway for a way out. Thankfully she recognized this place somehow and spotted the loose bricks that would lead to her safety. Taking the chance she sprinted full bore and slid feet first into the wall, the bricks caving inward and letting her be swallowed up in the darkness of the abandoned building.

Moving to the side of the wall and quickly replacing the bricks she heard the person that had been chasing her just beyond the wall and froze; somehow she knew that it wouldn't be the first time that she thought she was safe only to be proven wrong. After several long moments she felt it was safe to move once more and drifted deeper into the abandoned structure before sitting on a half-collapsed crate.

With a shaking hand she pulled up her shirt to show a small book hidden in her waistband and pulled it free, her hands ghosting over the weathered surface almost reverently as he looked at the cover, staring at the faded letters for a time in frustration as she opened the book. On the first page was simply a picture of a piece of fruit with lettering underneath it.

She herself knew what it said, but at the same time, she didn't… In a soft voice not her own she stared at the image, "Apple…A is for Apple…"

Harribel fell back onto her rear as her consciousness was suddenly thrust out of the memory, a hand coming up to clutch at her heart as she tried to calm her breathing, the emotions still running rampant through her psyche from being so deep in another's memory. 'He…he was hunted…for wanting to learn to _read_.' Taking several more steadying breaths she forced herself to calm so she could better sort the memories. Shaken emerald eyes cast about the hall she now found herself in, shuddering slightly at the waves that came from some of the now apparent doors she was regretting her test more and more as every second passed.

'What monsters does this place hold…'

With a steadiness that didn't carry through to her core she rose and moved past the door to another hall that had seemed to appear on its own, she had a bad feeling that this would simply be the tip of the iceberg.

An iceberg that may just destroy her normally rock solid resolve.

* * *

Morning turned to noon as the teen sat in his little apartment on the bed, his sword pulled from his back and propped against the doorframe where he could grab it easily should he need it. While it was rare for someone to go so far as breaking into his apartment while he was here it wasn't without precedent.

Though that was usually on his birthday.

At the moment he was sitting , still pouring over the scroll in an attempt to learn its subtleties, clones were never something he was good at, however in this instance it seemed to be right up his alley. All they needed was a single hand sign, a ready source of water, and chakra.

What could be easier for him?

The problem came in carefully molding the outer shell and reinforcing it with enough chakra that it wouldn't collapse under its own weight, yet making sure he didn't put so much into it that it overloaded the technique and made the clone simply explode like a water balloon.

He had the shaping part down, it was just adjusting the chakra levels that were giving him the issues, and the frustrating thing was, he knew he could have pulled this off easily yesterday. However, thanks to his new potential sensei, his chakra levels had gone haywire; the once solid feel for his chakra reserves was now pigeonholed. One moment he could barely pull enough chakra to henge his hair a different color, the next he had enough to almost blow the roof off his apartment.

Letting out a frustrated sigh he put the scroll aside and instead went up to one of the many potted plants he had, taking a moment to pull a few of the dead leaves from some of the compost and grumbled, "Back to the basics…"

Midnight came and went as Naruto knelt on the floor of his livingroom, his body covered in leaves as he held a ram symbol with one hand and a tiger in the other. While many considered it to be far beyond their skills to use one handed signes, it was one of the few things he had actually excelled in.

However, it was not by choice.

Normally, especially when Mizuki was the one to take over, he was forced out of the class and had to learn what he could from the windows, or later on when he spied on other students practicing. More often than not he would only get to see a seal from one side, rather than straight on, and for the longest time he didn't even know there _was _a second half to the seal.

Most seemed torn on their thoughts of one handed seals. Everyone thought they were useful, that was a given. The ability to hold a weapon while still utilizing your jutsu was a gift from Kami herself. However, you either needed remarkable levels of chakra to override the need of a completed seal, or enough control so that your visualization of the completed form was enough to actually force the chakra into the proper shape.

The principle was the same with those that practice their techniques enough that they no longer need the signs; they had used the jutsu enough that it was second nature to the user and subconsciously could form the chakra into the needed effect.

However, in Naruto's case, it presented a unique training situation, he could generate a constant buildup of chakra with one hand, and with a bit of guidance could channel it thought the second sign and create the effect that he desired.

Right now he was forcing the chakra to gather in order to cement the bits of plant to his body, the tiger sign was what he was using to shape and expel the flares of chakra. The clone technique he was learning only used the tiger, but seeing as it was the excess that was causing his issues it seemed obvious to try and use the excess chakra from the leaf exercise to try and form it at a slower rate.

Slowly, as he hoped, the levels seemed to normalize, he could feel the leaves pull tighter to his skin, the water he had collected into small bowls slowly being pulled into the air and taking a roughly humanoid shape, not that he dared to open his eyes and look. He knew from experience that if you minimized distractions that you could better draw on inner power, such as it was with many ninja, taking a moment to gather their chakra or strength in order to center themselves and better fight.

It was something he, in his old life, hated to practice.

Now, it seems more like second nature to him, his mind calming at a startling rate. He could only think that Harribel had a hand in it, although that was something central to her being, being calm, cool and controlled.

Naruto felt the body finish forming before he began to add details to it, its structure taking shape to match his mental image of what he desired it to be.

Tia Harribel.

* * *

While his control was finally returning to him Harribel was currently stumbling up to the last of the doors, this one, unlike the others she had been forced to endure, seemed to be brighter than the others, warmer. A deep mahogany wood rather than the rusting and warped steel she had been dealing with. It looked as though it had been lovingly lacquered and maintained, though was still weathered in a way that showed the door to be heavily used in it's time. She noticed that this was the only door thus far that actually had a knob to it, all the others were either simple to push open or had been chained.

Those were ones she couldn't forget, some of his darkest moments or repressed memories that he would never dare look back on.

But this one, this was the first, even those that had to deal with his 'Jii-Jii' were still metal, as at some level he had always felt the man had been keeping things from him. Things he now knew, she felt. The doors that held the memories of the little ramen stand were no different, as he was forced to go there by the hatred of the village as much as he went there for the company of the father daughter duo that ran the stand.

As the door opened she was shocked to see him looking down at her own mask.

She saw their merger and how she had been forthcoming and honest to him, something that so few had ever been, even his beloved teacher Iruka was not held in such regard, as he had once been no different than the others, seeking to keep him held back and alone until he had helped introduce the chunin to his 'nee-chan' Ayame.

In that one meeting, she had ingrained herself to him, telling him the reason why he was hated, offering to train him if he helped her, giving him someone he could be with at all times, so he was never alone again.

That's how he felt.

Now she felt a bit bad for her insistence on their deal, she may have wanted her freedom badly, but until she began this trial she never knew he was so desperate to be rid of his loneliness.

She saw his rise and, with her hand in the act, stopping and striking down his former teacher and how he, for the first time, felt truly strong, felt as though he could finally protect himself, but also felt the joy in the fight that she knew all too well.

He felt free. And that shook her to her core.

In a way, he was chained.

In a way, they were the same.

And he was willing to sacrifice all that he was in order to be rid of that feeling, once and for all, though not just for him, for any that may feel that same pain.

Even her.

* * *

A/N: I was originally intending to have this go a bit further and show him finishing the clone, but I think it's a bit better to leave it at that.

Sorry it took me a bit to get this one out, a dear friend of mine is going through a rough patch with her marriage, and I'm not the type of guy just to sit on the side and not help.

Now for a bit of info here, seeing as they show Hollows in Bleach retaining the memories of their former life I'm going to come up with something that will fit for Harribel and her comrades. I'm thinking of taking a page from one of my very favorite anime, Shadow Skill, for that. While the series is a fun one to watch, they skim over the fights to much, but the movie/OAV disk they come out with a long time ago is _gold_. Well, for me it is ^_^ As they go into things that I myself feel in life, the reason I fight and the desires that grow from it.

Also, at the suggestion of Whitedragon, I'm thinking that I will allow his extreme Water affinity to act not unlike Katara from Avatar in that she could use it to heal in the end. That said, I think when I finally give Harribel her own body that I will change her powers to be more in line with Crystal Release, I love the idea of Harribel using crystals for some reason, maybe it's because of the fight with Toshiro. *shrug*

LoPe also suggested more from Avatar in that maybe he could eventually manipulate blood, I'm considering it, but it would be WAY down the line, however, the idea of using mists and fogs which he also suggested are fun as well ^_^ So I may run with that.

Naruto's final skills (subject to change .) – Kinjutsu, Taijutsu (shadow skills), water manipulation, skin hardening (Like Arrancar can do in Bleach) advanced speed, higher intelligence, healing skills (Not on par with, say, Sakura or anything, but he's no slouch) Still thinking if I will use summons at all. If you all have any suggestions let me know ya?

Fumetsu no same wa nyotei – According to google…Immortal Shark Empress


	3. Chapter 3: Taking Shape

Disclaimer: I'm poor, I own nothing beyond my own words.

A/N: Mannaged to belt this one out rather quickly, mostly filler and some building with Harribel and Naruto, want to try and get that relationship in gear, and now that she has gone through his memories and they are opening up to each other I'm intending it to start.

* * *

Shards

Chapter 3: Taking Shape

* * *

'_Two meters tall, long-ish blond hair in ties, wears a white jacket/pant combo with black obi and black bandages around his midsection, high collar obscuring his face. Carries a broad bladed sword across his shoulders, scroll bandoliers are interspaced along his obi…_

…_Gives good backrubs…_

_-_ _Hebi no Samui

* * *

_

As dawn came to the village of Konoha it was met with a rather unseasonable overcast sky, as though even the sun were frowning somewhat on the village this day. In truth many found it a nice reprieve from the normally sweltering summers that their village was known for. Granted the trees and winds would often keep them cool and comfortable, but they were known for being The Land of Fire for a reason.

Many a shop were just settling into the swing of things properly, noon rapidly approaching, letting the stores that specialized in catching the eye of passersby prep for their peak business hours even as the restaurants readied for their imminent rushes.

For one small stand however, they were somewhat at a loss, a massive amount of food had been prepped and ready to be rolled out to one certain customer.

Only he never showed for his normal breakfast, and with noon rapidly approaching it was starting to look that it would end up being a repeat performance, something that the small, family run ramen stand wouldn't be able to survive should it become a habit.

"Dad…do you think everything is OK? It's not like him to skip meals…."

Teuchi clapped a comforting hand on his daughter's shoulder as she leaned a good distance outside of the stand in hopes of spotting the blond ball of energy as he dashed through the village after one of his many escapades. It had been a few days since they had seen him, and each time they had burned through a remarkable number of ingredients, forgetting over the years just how much the little piranha could tear through when he was in the right state of mind.

However, beyond the loss in business the duo had been more than a little concerned for the boy. Teuchi had found out from Ayame, after a rather lengthy rant, that Iruka had been pulled from their date early to go in search of Naruto after he had stolen something rather important, and they had yet to hear from anyone as to the outcome of that night.

As Teuchi had been ready to move back into the store room, intent on salvaging what ingredients that he could, when he noticed someone had simply seemed to appear, a rather blond someone. At first the elderly chef had thought Naruto had come to pay a visit but as he got closer to the bar top he froze.

He had never seen a woman like this before in the village…

"Dad….DAD!"

"Hu-What?"

She pulled the elderly man back to the cook tops with a strained smile to the newcomer before hissing, "You were _drooling_, I'll take the order, you get to work!" With a hesitant nod he cast the blond one more look before turning and getting his skillets ready as his daughter turned back to the bar top, "Good afternoon! Welcome to Ichiraku Ramen, what can I get you?"

Deep, emerald green eyes seemed to scan over the rather extensive menu that was up behind the cook tops and seemed to focus on what she was after. "Seven bowls of miso-pork ramen, to go."

That gave the duo pause, that was the same order Naruto usually had! "E-Excuse me miss…are you certain you need quite so much? Forgive me for saying, but I don't think that yo-"

"It's not for me."

"O-Oh…May I ask who it's for?"

"Uzumaki-san."

Ayame had to fight the urge to do a little dance as her face lit up, "Naruto! You know Naruto?"

The woman didn't so much as nod, simply turning slightly to observe the chef as he worked, "I believe that much is obvious."

The teen was somewhat taken aback by the blonds indifference, her eyes and general bearing, seemingly regal even as she was sitting in the little stand was off-putting, "Oh…well, I was just curious, we hadn't seen him in a few days and were getting a bit worried…"

Cold green eyes met earthen brown for a moment, making a chill run up the girl's spine, "Interesting…"

"What?"

"You claim concern, yet I am rather certain that you have never checked in on him…"

Harribel caught the woman's slight flinch and unseen by them gave a small smile. "W-Well we have been pretty busy…"

Calculating eyes did a quick sweep on the stand, noting that she was the only one there, "Indeed…"

Ayame bit back a growl as the first set of bowls were ferried to the counter, Teuchi wasn't feeling much better about the woman but had the good sense to look a bit more apologetic, "Your right, we really should have gone an checked up on him, but my daughter's boyfriend said he wasn't injured and was probably just busy."

The barest twitch of a nod was the only outward change to the woman's bearing, "He has. Should he complete his task he will be made a ninja."

"Oh? What does he have to do?"

"Perfect me."

That made the two cooks look to one another in confusion, "Perfect?"

"I am a clone." Not sparing the two a second glance she dropped the money on the bar top, stacked the bowls in a large tower before, with a shocking level of poise, moved out of the stand and down the street.

* * *

The growl coming from the training grounds had little to do with any extensive or difficult training technique, no; it was one of pure, unrefined hunger. He had sent his first test clone out over an hour ago and had been creating more copies ever sense, determined to get the time needed to make them down as far as he could before his meeting that night with the Hokage. He had moved out of the little apartment after his initial creation in order to try and test his creation of them away from ready sources of water.

The results had been…unique…due to his high affinity he could seemingly pull water from whatever he focused enough on, but if he wasent careful with his direction of the chakra, something that he was still having issues focusing on as his levels were still spiking wildly. Should his concentration waver to far, or if he didn't hone the tendrils of chakra he sent out, it would be just as easy to pull moisture from his own body as it would be the ground or air, something that was more than a little painful.

He never wanted to see his limb _shrivel_ like that ever again.

Right now he had half a dozen copies of either himself or Harribel filling the little clearing and turning now and again so that he could study them from every angle, making sure they were constructed properly and that they looked as close to the real ones as they could be.

The copies of himself were something that was still being adjusted. The first time he had made one it had come out in his old jumpsuit but still possessed the mask. The second had his jacket top, but still the old pants. Now he had them down to looking almost like mirror images, though the bleedover was still something he was trying to adapt to, as it manifested even in his clones, some having longer hair that was pulled into four small tails with pale green ties, others having the same wonderful eyes of his new tenet.

The latest copy of himself hadn't been much better, this one having the deep mocha skin that Harribel possessed, and it didn't stop there, the copies he had made of her had some up different as well, some in different outfits ranging from what some of the girls in his class had worn to a formal kimono that one would wear to the finest of tea ceremonies.

If he were being honest with himself, he would admit that he rather liked putting her in different outfits, trying to see what would complement the woman, and to his surprise it was almost all very casual, civilian clothing that seemed, at least to him, to fit her better than her old clothes.

He knew she had been watching, choosing to remain silent, but the rather content presence in the back of his mind let him know on some level that she was enjoying the show as well, respecting the fact that the worse thing put her in was a tank top and skirt combination he had seen the Yamanaka in his class wear around the village once, both a deep, off purple with a jacket tied around her hips.

Mentally chiding himself for being distracted he let the clones collapse before settling against a tree and taking a moment for his thoughts to clear, a part of him smiling under the mask to see the clone heading back, however, his smile quickly faded as he saw who was trailing her.

'Kiba…'

* * *

"Come on! You can tell me your name at least, can't you?"

"Yes."

"Well what is it?"

"I don't want to tell you."

That gave the boy pause, "B-But you said…"

"You asked if I could tell you my name. I can."

"Then why don't you?"

"I don't want to."

The Inuzuka drifted off into silence for a time as he continues to follow, his eyes drifting to her rear as he watched it sway slightly with each step, "S-So…you like ramen?"

"I've never had it."

He quirked an eyebrow at that, "Then why do you have so much?"

Harribel let out an annoyed sigh, "Why are you being so persistent, it's obvious I'm not interested."

He frowned at that, "How can you say that if you don't know me?"

"You're assuming I have the _desire_ to get to know you."

Kiba winced a bit at that, he was used to girls just telling him to scram, or a flat-out 'no', he hadn't had a girl explain it like that. "W-why not?"

"Because I'm not real."

"What?"

"Kiba, why are you pestering my clone?"

Said boy pulled up short as they stopped in the wide clearing, the now identified clone carefully setting the bowls on the damp ground before she collapsed into the earth with a splash. His eyes widened in shock before his gaze locked on the blond before him, one that was wearing a very similar outfit. However, he had to pause at what he was currently experiencing, Naruto smelt wrong.

"Who are you?"

"You know who I am."

"Naruto?"

"Yes."

"But…your scent…"

"What about it?" His arms came up to be folded before him, cool blue eyes seeming to bore holes into the Inuzuka.

"Y-You smell…kinda like a fish…"

"Because I had fish."

He cocked his head slightly, "Then what's with all the ramen?"

"I like ramen."

"O-Oh….um….say…do you know that girl, from before?" He gave a slight nod, if he hadn't been focused so utterly on the blond he was sure he would have missed it. "Could you…Introduce us?"

The blond seemed to stare at him all the harder for several, gut-wrenching moments, "No."

"What? Why? There's no way she'd go for you! Why not help a buddy out!"

He arched an eyebrow at that, "You insult me, then claim friendship…interesting…"

"Oh come on, you know I didn't mean it like that!"

"Goodbye Kiba."

"But-"

"Goodbye. Kiba."

"What, are you her keeper or something!"

The dog lover flinched slightly as his stare morphed into a weathering glare, "She is her own."

With a grin he stepped forward, "Good, then let her decide for herself!"

With an annoyed sigh Naruto made a dragon hand sign, slowly the moisture from the ground formed and took the shape that Kiba had been oh so wanting to see, though he was less than happy about that now, seeing that it was indeed a clone from the blond. After a few moments what was once a clear, cool blue of water was flesh with an outfit matching Naruto's, said teen gestured towards Kiba, "Now then, if you would do the honors?"

"Just forget it! You know what? FUCK YOU UZUMAKI! I'm going to find this girl that you based that clone off of, then I'm going to make her mine and let her stomp you into the dirt!" Without sparing so much as a second glance the young man spun on his heel and stomped off, intent on searching the village for his prize.

Harribel and Naruto exchanged a brief glance before the duo sighed, "That could have gone a bit better…"

She nodded, "Indeed, but he is gone at least. Eat, it's getting cold."

He turned and dropped easily to the earth, leaning against a nearby tree as Harribel leaned against one across from him, "Thank you again Harribel-sama, you didn't have to do this." He didn't get an answer, just her turning her head slightly to watch the field, seemingly lost in her own world. "Are you having any trouble with the clone? I wasn't certain it would work at all, but I am glad that it did."

She seemed to consider her answer for a moment, absently studying a hand before she crossed her arms under her impressive bust, "It's fine, for now."

He gave a slight nod as he ripped the paper cover from his ramen bowl, "I know it's only a stopgap, but at least for now you can enjoy the breeze…"

Unseen to him she gave a small smile, her eyes softening slightly, it had been to long since she had felt that…

"Um…." She looked back at him to see that he had unzipped his jacket and was currently staring at the raman bowl with a slight look of frustration.

"That was your favored dish, was it not?" He gave a nod, "Then what is the problem?"

"How do I eat it?"

She gave him an incredulous look, "This is your food, not mine."

"No…I mean, how do I eat with the mask?"

Harribel started at the blond for a time before a gentle, almost affectionate laugh filled the clearing, "Channel your power into the mask, it should open as your jaw does."

Naruto was stunned for a moment, never having heard a laugh like that from a woman before, well, not one that was directed at him, they were always more along the boisterous and mirth-filled rather than kind or fond. Mentally shaking himself from his revere he shunted his chakra into his facial muscles and let it flow into the mask, the bone making a shuddering series of clacks as his chakra spiked slightly. The rattling sounds would have been disturbing if he hadn't known where it was coming from. Carefully he lifted the first load of noodles to his mouth and almost missed the first time, misjudging the distance as the mask protruded slightly from his body. After a few near misses he got the hang of it and started to eat as Harribel overlooked the village.

She wouldn't tell him, but some part of her was envious of the boy right now, aside from his free state that is, it had been a very long time sense she had tasted real food, and while she had his memories to tide her over it just wasn't the same. Add to that the fact he seemed to prefer this rather salty soup and she was less than thrilled, but anything would be better than nothing…and she had to admit, the eggs in the soup were rather good…

"Harribel-sama…" She turned her head slightly to the teen, "What…was your decision, you haven't told me yet…"

A finely sculpted blond eyebrow arched slightly, "I thought that much was obvious."

"I pass?" She gave another wordless nod, "I…Thank you. I'll do everything in my power to get you out of there, then you'll be able to do anything you want."

She could feel the unsaid words echo through her mind as she let out a sigh, he was already steeling herself for her departure from him, "To be honest, Uzumaki-san, even when I am free it will be unlikely that I will leave." Now it was his turn to arch a brow, "You are the only one I know here."

"You'll meet others, and you will have your followers."

She paused at that as he reached for the next bowl, he was right, she wouldn't be alone then…her mind flashed back to seeing the same, crying boy huddled into the corner of his apartment building, feeling a stark comparison to her own life, well, when she had been alive…the little blond girl in chains and a collar huddled away from the others as the guards…

"Usumaki-san…would it be so bad…if I stayed?"

She had to bite back the laugh at his slack jawed look, the large, toothy mask making it all the more comical, "B-But…"

"Uzumaki…Naruto…do you know why I agreed to test you at all…why I didn't just take over and burn out your mind?" He shook his head, "To give you the chance I never had." At his questioning look she pushed on, "Naruto-san, in the entirety of my life, I was never given an option in anything I have done. When I was alive I was a slave…when I died I was forced to linger, until I became a monster….the monster was a servant to hunger, and in the end a new master took me…gave me back my mind and manipulated me to be what he wanted…not unlike you, I have never been free. So I ask you, when the time comes, will you let me make my decision….to stay with you, should I desire it?"

Said teen was at a loss, he had known about her being a slave when she was alive, she had told him that the fighting style that he would be learning was born in the pits, but to be put through all that… "Harribel-sama, I'd never force you to do something you didn't want to. I hope you know that."

She gave another of her slight nods, "I do."

The pair settled into a comfortable silence as Naruto moved through the bowls at a more sedate pace than he would normally eat, away from the village he didn't have to worry so much about being chased off from the little stand or making business hard for them, hell, if he had to guess seeing someone as attractive as Harribel enter and exit the stand had probably helped the little restaurant owners more than they realized. Absently he noticed that Harribel had twitched a bit at his inner musings and had to curse himself, he would have to watch those thoughts from now on.

"I don't blame you, you know."

"Hm?"

"For those thoughts."

"A-Ah…yes…still, I should know better."

She cocked her head slightly at that, it seemed to him that the bleed over of personalities was a bit of a two way street, "And why would you think that? You are a teenage boy. Even with how long I have been gone from the world know such things cannot be helped."

"It's still disrespectful."

Again that soft laughter filled the training ground, "Naruto-san, you didn't even think a lewd thought, simply commenting on me being attractive will not cause me to hate you, in fact it's rather nice to hear someone appreciate me for more than my figure. You have commented on many occasions that you considered me strong, honest and intelligent, I would think that more women would appreciate such things."

"One would think…"

"Ah…you are thinking of those in your class, yes? The one that would faint and the…pink one." She shuddered a bit at the memory of that girls sheer volume, it was certain to her that she would get those on her squad killed one day with a voice like that.

"Yes, they were the ones I had the most contact with, aside from Ayame-onee-chan, but I can hardly draw on her as a good example, for obvious reasons."

She considered his answer for a moment, he wasn't lying when he said that the ramen girl wouldn't be a good point of reference, as the first thing she had called him had be 'nii-chan' and those from his class had been first, unhelpful, passing out every time he got close, or secondly would lash out at him for even the smallest complement. "Naruto-san, I hope you will not lump me in with those from your past. You know I will not treat your poorly, correct?"

He gave a mirthless laugh, "Now that I've passed? Yes."

She flinched slightly at that, he had a point, "Not my finest hour, I'll admit."

"Don't worry Harribel-sama, I know it was nothing personal." She watched as he wordlessly rose to his feet and looked upon her with smiling eyes, "Shall we get back to work?"

A slight nod was all he received before he found himself on the defensive.

* * *

"You wouldn't believe that BITCH! She made it sound like we didn't give a damn!"

Iruka winced as more of the hot broth sloshed from the bowl onto his chest, at first he had been thrilled at the idea of his girlfriend visiting him and even offering to feed him, it was uncommonly cute of her, but now he was sporting a good number of burns and was truly beginning to wonder if she shouldn't have taken the nurses up on their suggestion of no visitors.

Getting ramen broth in fresh stitches wasn't going to be fun…and it was looking more and more likely as the minuets passed.

"You should have seen this…this _slut_! She was almost falling out of this weird jacket of hers, and I just _know_ she was laughing at us behind that collar."

"Jacket?"

He tried to shrink back at Ayame's scowl, "Oh, of course YOU would hear that, out of everything that was said. Yes, she had big boobs, happy now!"

"A-Ayame-chan, it's not like that, really, it's just Naruto had a jacket like that the other night, I thought it might be him in that jutsu of his."

That gave her pause, if that was the truth then… "Oh my Kami! What…what if he was testing us…you said that that punk Mizuki had tricked him…he probably doesn't trust any of us now…"

Seeing the way his girlfriend seemed to deflate he reached out to run a hand down her cheek, "Hey now, none of that, you know Naruto, he's not like that, now tell me what she looked like, I've been on the receiving end of that damned technique of his enough times to tell you if it was him or not."

"Well, she had dark skin, kinda long hair in some little ties, not even braids, like she was just getting it out of the way, big breasts, weird pants…the strangest thing thought was that she said she was a clone, but clones look like the creator though…"

"Unless you put an illusion on them, or make them that way from the ground up. It could be that this clone is something he's made so that he can shop elsewhere without getting harassed."

She snorted at that, "Trust me, if he was going to low key, she wasn't it. Hell, even Tsunade didn't stand out as much as this girl, then again she wore more…"

"Am I interrupting?"

The two whirled around to look at the window, Iruka wincing slightly as his stitches pulled taunt, "Naruto? How'd you get up here?"

"There are many rooftops that get close to the hospital; it was rather simple to jump up. How are you feeling?"

He gave a slight smile as he gestured to his bandaged state, "Sore as hell, how about you?"

The couple noted his own battered and bloody state, "Much the same, my training is progressing well though."

"Training? Naruto, you failed the test, I didn't think you would be training for the next year already."

Naruto arched an eyebrow slightly, causing an unseen tick mark to appear above Ayame's eye, "Ah…I suppose you wouldn't know yet, Hokage-sama is allowing me another chance to pass, I must simply demonstrate my ability to form a clone."

Iruka had to wince at that, clones were far from his forte, beyond that he had noticed the teen beside him tense, it would seem Naruto was indeed responsible for the clone, "Oh? Then how did you get so beat-up?"

"Hokage-sama gave me a solid clone technique, I spent the afternoon sparing with her and honing the skill, trying to get the creation time down." The teen eased further into the room and leaned against the wall beside the window, his arms crossed.

"So that clone was YOU!"

Naruto arched an eyebrow at the girl only to chuckle slightly, "Ah, yes, you met Harribel-sama."

"Harribel-sama?"

The blond looked to Iruka giving a slight nod, "A new friend, I based the clone off of her, my apologies if she was a bit…blunt, clones sometimes can get a mind of their own." He felt the woman inside him scowl slightly as he sent a mental apology her way, he was doing his best to keep from revealing too much, at least until the Hokage allowed him.

"Wait, so there really is a girl running out in an outfit like that!" He nodded, "Geeze…she must want a lot of attention…."

"It's not so different from what some of the kunoichi wear, anything to distract and make someone lower their guard, even if it's through shock-factor alone. Better to catch a fool blushing than to be caught by one."

The pair looked at Naruto as if he'd grown another head, "Naruto, what happened to you?"

"Hm?"

"Well…you just seem so different…"

He gave the woman a small smile, though it was hard to tell it was still something that reached his eyes, "I would have thought that your boyfriend would have told you Onee-chan, I had an eye-opening experience the other night."

She gave a slight nod before her eyes widened, remembering another tidbit of information from that night, "Iruka-kun told me that something latched onto your face, are you alright? Can I see it?"

Naruto's gaze whipped over to Iruka, cold blue eyes narrowed in accusation, the chunin gave an apologetic shrug before the blond let out a sigh, "I don't think I should show you Ayame-chan…"

"Why?"

"I wouldn't want to scare you."

She snorted at that, "Please, I'm an ex-ninja, you think a mask could scare me?"

"It scared him."

"Ya, well _I_ scare him."

"With good reason, so I'm told."

The two men barely saw her move before they were rewarded with twin limps on the top of their head, now he had the more common laughter echoing through his head, _'You deserved that.'_

He growled slightly at that, the sound coming out all the more menacing thanks to the echo of the mask, something that Ayame seemed to just now really notice, "Come on Naruto! Let me see!"

He let out an annoyed sigh, "As you wish." Rather than unzipping his jacket this time he hooked a finger into the collar and pulled it low while he tiled his head to the side, cool eyes locking on shocked brown.

"W…What IS it?"

"Bone."

"Where did it come from?"

"I'm not permitted to say."

"Does…does it hurt?"

"No."

"Can it come off?"

"No."

The two now had tick marks over their heads as Naruto answered in a bored tone, "Well how did you eat earlier if it doesn't come off?"

Unseen to them Naruto smirked, finally, an original question; "If I push chakra into it then I can open the mouth. Ayame-onee-chan, you can't tell anyone about this yet, if others found out they could make trouble."

The couple glanced at one another, Iruka was the one to broach the subject, "Naruto, is everything alright?"

He seemed to consider his answer before giving another slight nod, "In time, yes, you know where the mask is from, and if others found out…"

The chunin nodded and waved him off, "Say no more, I understand."

Taking a moment to let his gaze linger his eyes settled on the cooling bowl of ramen, "I'll not keep you any longer, I just wanted to see how you were doing before I met with Hokage-sama, eat your food, wasting ramen's a sin."

The two's lighter laugher was offset by his hollow one as he moved back to the window and spotted the ledge in the growing darkness and leapt out onto the rooftops, he still had a few hours before the 'test' may as well use it for a bit of cramming.

* * *

At the sound of knocking the elderly leader glanced up from the latest round of paperwork, "Enter!"

The door opened slightly to reveal the white and black clad blond, "Hokage-sama, we had an appointment for tonight."

Sarutobi gave the boy a wide smile as he motioned him to enter, "Naruto! My boy, come in!"

The teen arched an eyebrow at that, he must had pulled the old man from some rather annoying paperwork…only explanation. "Alright, how do you want to do this?"

The elderly leader smiled and pulled out two kunai from seemingly nowhere, he'd have to learn how to do that... "The test is simple. I'm going to throw this kunai into the ceiling, when it falls to the ground you will have one second to form the clone before I throw the second one. If you succeed the clone will be struck, if you fail…"

"I-I see…"

"Are you ready?"

After a moment of taking a steadying breath the blond nodded. Before he could blink the kunai was in the ceiling, however, only just barely, he could already see it pulling free under it's own weight. Sparing no time he pulled a water skin from his obi and tossed it between the two just as the kunai fell, the razor edge catching and tearing open the bladder just as the blade struck the ground. He saw the Hokage grip the kunai a bit tighter even as his own hand formed a seal, the other pulling a kunai of his own. The water that was still gliding through the air was suddenly pulled back to him and immediately formed a humanoid shape.

The elderly leader winced slightly as he flicked his fingers toward the blond, the blade leaving his hands just moment before the clone hardened, taking Naruto's form just in time to catch the kunai between it's eyes. The duo let out breaths they didn't realize they had been holding as the water splashed quietly onto the ground. "Naruto…what was that stunt you just pulled?"

He arched an eyebrow at that, "What do you mean Hokage-sama?"

"You cut that to close, all in order to show off with a one handed seal?"

If anything the blonds' confusion grew, "Jii-jii, you told me to master the technique, my greatest level of master at this time is one handed seals."

That gave the Hokage pause, Naruto, the supposed dead last of the academy, could do jutsu with a single hand? "Naruto, how many techniques can you perform one-handed?"

"The mizubushin, kawarimi, and henge, although I am close to the point of not needing the hand signs for the latter two. The water clone is still to new for me to perform any faster, even two handed. Though if I had more time I'm certain that I could improve upon that, however, most of my time has been spent getting my chakra back under control."

"What do you mean?"

"Harribel-sama's assimilation and subsequent altering of the seal has caused my control to become…erratic, I've been forced to go back to the basics just to be able to attempt this technique."

It took the Hokage a moment to really understand that it was _Naruto_ using these words. That is if it was… "This…is you, right Naruto?"

"Yes, Harribel-sama found me worthy and we have begun the training, although today was mostly her helping me get the creation time on the clone down."

That gave the old man pause, "Wait, I thought you said she was trapped?"

He gave another of his slight nods, "Indeed she is, however, we found out that she has enough leeway that when I create a clone with the proper level of focus that she can take control of it, however, the inherent limitation of the mizubushin does not afford her much freedom. Add to that that she is only at ten percent of my actual power and she is somewhat limited. Still, this can help me with my taijutsu and my kenjutsu. Have you found anyone to help me in the sealing arts yet?"

The Hokage nodded before reaching into his desk and fetching a small box and handing it to the blond, "Inside you'll find the basic guides on sealing as well as the supplies you'll need to get your start. I'm going to warn you now though, this is not something to be taken lightly, it will take many hours of long study and worse still, trial and error. I want you to be careful with this."

The blond nodded before looking to the leader expectant, "And…"

Sarutobi grinned as he reached back into the drawer and pulled out a hitai-ate with long, black cloth, "Congratulations Naruto, you graduate."

Unseen by the Hokage the blond smiled wider that he had ever before, inside him Harribel was smiling herself, a soft look in her eyes, almost like a proud grilfr-

She stomped that thought out viciously as Naruto took the headband and affixed it to his obi, the silver of the steel drawing the eye nicely. Looking back at Sarutobi he had to ask, "Jii-jii, do you know what team I'm going to be on?"

He seemed to think for a time as he mentally reviewed the lists, Kakashi had put in a specific request for him, and while he was tempted to, as Kakashi was his father's last student, part of him was screaming that it would be a bad idea, that the man had a greater agenda in mind rather than wanting to help his sensei's son. There had been plenty of times that the Hokage had tried to get the man to take Naruto in, and every time he was met with a 'Hm? Did you say something?' or a 'I'm sorry, but ANBU keeps me to busy'. Now the cyclopean jonin was all gung-ho over the prospect of having the blond on his team…

He wasn't considered 'the professor' for nothing…

"Naruto, these one handed seals of yours, is it something that is particularly difficult for you…I mean does it take you longer than normal to learn how to do jutsu with one, as opposed to two hands?" He shook his head, making the elderly leader smirk, "All right, I think I have a good plan for you, but I'll warn you, it's a probationary thing, come Friday I will have everything set up and you will find out with the others, I think you will appreciate the others' reactions…"

Naruto knew that look well, the Hokage was planning a prank of his own, in the past it was always something that made him smile, though right now he was a bit wary, it had never been directed at him before, "I see…so I have three days to improve to the best of my abilities, then I will, with luck, have a useful sensei."

Sarutobi nodded with a smile as Naruto tucked the box under his arm and bowed slightly, "Naruto, as always, if there is anything you need, come see me. I look forward to seeing you at the mission desk, Ninja of Konoha."

Eyes shining in unshed tears were his answer as the blond turned on his heel and made his way out of the tower, the Hokage watching out the window until the bright, blond hair had vanished in the growing night. Turning to called out to his secretary, the round chunin quickly entering the room, "My Lord?"

"Ishada…Send for Might Gai, I think I may have a solution for problem with the Kumo mission."


	4. Chapter 4: Meeting New People

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, Bleach or Shadow Skill.

A/N: I have no real excuse for this one taking a bit, I was working on my other stories :P I was going to have Sasuke get a smack-down here, but I think I'd rather save it for a bit more private a setting, less chance of him getting in trouble ^_^ But I did kinda stick it to Sakura here. Though I must say, I didn't do much beyond what you see in canon…funny, girl trashes herself ^_^

My mate Whitedragon17 updated his latest fic and it's looking good ^_^ Go check it out and leave him some feedback. Same with LoPe21, his fic had entered the Wave arc and it's shaping up nicely ^_^

If I've made some mistakes here please let me know, I tend to get the writer's twitch at odd hours, so with the fatigue I tend to make some nasty mistakes that I can miss on my reread. I'll say thanks right now again to White and LoPe for their help with brain storming and looking over my stuff, their a big help ^_^

Edit: Realized I'd forgotten my little quote at the start, oops...

* * *

Shards

Chapter 4: Meeting New People

* * *

_"That boy...his strength to keep going. The will to fight on. The sheer joy he takes in battle..._

_We could be brothers..._

_Now if I could only think of a rhyme..."_

_-Killer Bee

* * *

_

Interesting.

It's a common term.

Usually a word that someone will use to describe an event, sometimes a person, a painting, a story, the list goes on.

If someone had a unique hobby then they could be interesting. They could also be eccentric, or even outright insane.

For the young brunette that was currently heading to her normal training grounds, 'interesting' was what she was thinking when she had been told yesterday by her sensei that the replacement on their team was to be a fresh out of the academy 'graduate'.

A kind that had yet to so much as pass his real sensei's test to actually became a ninja, and he was being sent on a C rank mission to a rival village.

Yes, interesting was the right word in this instance. Though she also thought that her aged leader, a man she respected immensely, was finally going senile.

As she continued to consider who this new member could be, and what he may have done to warrant such a strange appointment she kept walking, unmindful of the sounds of flesh colliding that was coming from the grounds just beyond a corpse of trees.

However, the scene she came upon was something that wouldn't warren such a common term.

"What…the…_fuck!_"

Before her was a sight that, if you had to put a label to it, would be alarming, if not outright horrifying. There, perhaps a hundred feet from her, were two people that were quite literally, beating the stuffing out of one another. Both were strangely dressed, yet not dissimilar in the style. Both were clad in simple white cloths, more like underclothes actually. A woman with a rather shocking figure and a face that deserved to be immortalized wore a baggy white tank top that she knew would be laughably large on most others, save perhaps for her idol Tsunade or the trench coat wearing woman she had seen at the dango stand. White shorts with a simple rope tie largely finished the odd style, though there was a length of cloth, a bit over a foot and a half in length connected her wrists, the teen having the same restraints on him.

The boy she was currently fighting was similar, though only clad in shorts that looked to be almost skin tight, affording her something of an enjoyable view if she were being honest with herself. Both were bare foot, though their ankles and wrists were wrapped as well, more like support tape like her teammate wore, and if it weren't for the different skin tones she would think they were related somehow, the same tint to their hair and the same looks in their eyes as they clashed.

First he started moving, cross stepping his way to circle the woman, her hands up in a loose guard as her legs held a wide stance. Slowly her head and eyes would turn, keeping him in at the edge of her vision for a time before turning her head properly to look at him. After a time he changed the movements, coming in at her with wide, back and forth movements, keeping her off balance slightly, unsure of where he would come from.

The brunette watched, stunned as the boy suddenly turned the odd charge into a slide, then splaying out both legs to catch her behind the knees, the woman rolling back away from the blow before, to the brunette's surprise, she twisted harshly and pushed off with her upper body into a mule kick that caught the teen in the jaw and sent him rolling across the grounds. However, rather than give him a chance to get back up she sprung higher into the air, twisting and landing before the prone boy and, using her momentum, began to rain brutal kicks to his midsection.

Tenten winced as she watched this woman delivering an assault that may have even had her freak of a sensei reeling at the sheer force of the thing. One of her long, well toned legs rose into a vertical split, ready to bring her heel down in a brutal axe kick that would probably kill the boy when, much to her shock, the kid sprang up and caught her about the knee, lifting the woman bodily from the ground before swinging her with all the strength he had towards the earth.

Again, she was stunned, rather than letting her impact he seemed to use the combined momentum of her decent and his own leg's rise to drive his knee deep into her kidney, sending her skyward, but rather than letting her get away, much as she had done, he lashed out with his other leg, lifting him from the ground with the pure speed of it and brought his foot across her face, sending her skidding across the ground much as he had.

He took a moment to wipe the blood from his brow and seemed to grimace, slowly the woman rose, seeming none the worse for the blows as she took her stance once more.

"You know better. Don't relent in the assault; if you allow the enemy time to recover, it's over."

"Yes."

"Again!"

The two come at one another, this time their shins clashing with horrific force, she saw the boy's bone give under the strike, but rather than let up he turned and made a similar mule kick to the woman, just rolling with the blows as if they were nothing but bee stings. He lashed out with two rapid kicks, one with each leg, making the bun-haired girl cringe as she could almost feel the grinding of bones in his ankle. The first seemed to catch the woman slightly off guard, the blow catching a glancing hit across her ribs as her left arm quickly caught his leg and she was forced to take the second kick full in the sternum. The blow sent her skidding back, but as she had a good hold on the teen he came with her, pulling him off the ground where she then lifted him high, lashing out with one leg to catch him in the floating ribs before she slammed him into the hard earth.

The teen let a gout of blood fly from his mouth as the woman leapt into the air, tucking her legs back and came down knees first into his diaphragm, driving all the air from him before she went into a forward roll, turning and sweeping her legs under him slightly before the deadly appendages came up to wrap securely around his neck and started to squeeze.

Having seen enough the girl dashed into the clearing, a brace of kunai coming to her hands even as she took careful aim, looking to drive the woman away more than kill her. However, the woman's next words stopped her cold.

"What have you learned?"

After a strangled moment he grunted out, "Nev-Never m-match a…stronger opponent…blow for blow."

"Correct, what would have been the better option?"

He let out an odd squeak as he tried to worm his hands into the hold, trying to give himself that little bit of space so that he could breathe, "Use my superior stamina to wind them down, or change the battlefield to one of my choosing."

"Correct,' With that she finally released the teen who quickly sprang to his feet, only slightly favoring his right leg. 'Other options would be weapons, other jutsu, or some of the secret arts; however, as you do not know them yet, they were not an option."

"Secret arts?"

"Another time…" She turned to regard the bun haired girl who was now slightly fidgeting, it wasn't forbidden to watch someone practice, but without permission it was frowned upon, it was one reason that many of the ninja disliked working with the Uchiha, while most would ask to observe techniques, there were always a few that wouldn't, and stories of them were still told by some of the ninja that would come into her shop.

"S-Sorry to intrude, I didn't know anyone was using this training ground."

The boy was the one that answered as he settled onto one of the larger stones in the area, absently rubbing his ankle. "There is no need, this is simply the first one we came upon, we will go."

"W-Wait, what was that fighting style? I've never seen anything like it before…"

Naruto looked to the dusky beauty who merely nodded, "It is Harribel-sama's style, she is teaching me."

"B-But the way you fought…"

Harribel regarded the woman for a few seconds, noticing the knives she still held and bristled slightly, she was going to _interfere_. "It is the Karuda style, one unique to my people. I agreed to train him in the style in exchange for a favor."

'_You did?'_

'_Not now…'_

"Oh…well I have to say it was amazing, but I have to ask, what's with the cloth?"

The boy snapped the bindings tight, drawing her attention. "It's to prevent the use of our hands." That just threw her for a loop, even the most devout foot styles used the hands, and she said as much.

"While there are hand styles, they are not taught in the subset of the style I am teaching him."

"But…it just seems…wrong. I mean, he could be holding weapons, or grappling..."

"You wouldn't understand. You have not lead that life. Come, it is time for kenjutsu. Has your ankle healed sufficiently?"

"Yes."

"Very well." Harribel spared the girl the barest of nods before rounding and walking from the clearing, the boy trotted after her, still slightly favoring his ankle, but shocking the brunette nonetheless.

"W-Wait…who are you, what do I call you?"

The boy seemed to shimmer before her, a slight golden sheen to his form before his clothing changed to an odd jacket and pant combo, but what really caught her eye was the odd sword he now had slung across his shoulders. He turned his head slightly to regard her for a moment, a small smile reaching his eyes, "Call me friend."

* * *

"I'm telling you, he's dead! That's the only explanation, it's been a week and there hasn't been a single prank in the whole village!"

"Come on now Forehead, he's too stubborn to die, you know that."

"You know he's getting ready for _something_ big, I just can't figure out what…"

"Maybe he's just sulking, he did fail after all."

"Hmm…you may be right Ino-pig…but you know the last time he went this long without one he somehow had Iruka-sensei dress as a chicken and he never _noticed."_

"True…that was pretty funny though…"

Sakura giggled at the memory, Naruto did have his moments. Still, she couldn't stop the nagging feeling that there was something on the horizon, something _BIG_.

"So…Why are you so interested in the class looser, hmmm?"

For a moment Sakura was caught off guard as Ino leaned in closer, seemingly trying to make her as uncomfortable as she could.

It worked.

With a brilliant flush on her face she scowled, the normally attractive young girl morphing into something…less.

"Please, don't project your twisted delusions onto me, Pig. Who would ever want him? Hell, I bet his parents just up and left him, it'd explain his clothing at least..."

Ino's steps faltered for a moment, all pretenses of teasing leaving her in an instant as she looked at the girl she had known for ten years, wondering if this was a new person. "S-Sakura…how could you say that…"

Looking over her shoulder she arched an eyebrow at the blonds' shocked expression, "What, you must have thought it to. Think about it, his clothing, his attitude, his manners, their all crap."

"Sakura…I-I"

"What?"

Taking a moment to steel herself, her eyes hidden by a lone bang that seemed to flare out she growled, "I guess you forgot…huh?"

"Forgot what?" Now she was starting to get a bit nervous, she'd never seen Ino like this before.

Ino's voice seemed to fade, but in the empty hallway of the academy it may as well have been shouted at the top of her lungs, "You forgot, just how close I came to being an orphan to, didn't you?" Sakura's blood froze in her veins, "My mom died because of the fox…and dad almost died from his wounds that night…if he had I probably would have been just like him…pulling pranks…being a brat, anything to get noticed…"

"I-Ino I didn't mean anything ba-"

"Your…your really a bad person…aren't you…you stop being my friend because of Sasuke…then you insult _orphans_…what kind of person are you?"

"I-"

Her head snapped up to show puffy, red eyes, tears in them refusing to fall, "don't answer that…don't you dare, you don't know the answer yet, and until you do, _I don't know you!_"

With that the blond with pale, blue eyes vanished.

* * *

Things were…interesting for Naruto.

No…that would be the wrong word…this would be better classified as 'troublesome'.

He had arrived at the academy early today, after having a rather productive training session with Harribel. Opting to sit closer to the top of the class's tiered seating he had settled in and started a conversation with Harribel-sama about his training. He'd learned that the first of her powers that he would be mastering, eventually, was her 'Ola Roja', a red wave, at least for now, that could cut through most anything, and that, should it be needed, could even be withheld in the sword rather than launched, giving him a nice boost in close quarters combat should he need it. Second was a smaller variation of the 'Cero' that she had described to him, it was far less destructive, however it was also much faster, and for someone of his build then for now it was the best option.

That, and the lower power meant he actually had a shot at using it, unlike the Cero, something she said could take him years to even attempt.

Killjoy.

Still, this 'Bala' would have a great deal of use. However, before he even got to consider some techniques, she was going to hammer the basics into him, not unlike how she had been this morning. They both knew they didn't have a lot of time before their assignments, and whoever was put in charge of his training would demand to know what these techniques were, and could try and stop him from learning them.

If his track record was anything to go by, then it would be certain.

However, for now she was critiquing his skill in her kenjutsu style, and he wasn't looking to good…

Her style was deceptively simple, relying on a surprising amount of upper body strength followed by explosive moments. It was strange, when you considered the taijutsu style he was learning never used the hands, or, it would be better to say, you couldn't use them.

Her style seemed to rely on blocks, thus needing great strength to endure some of the blows. Then using that strength coupled with astonishing speed to defeat the opponent. It actually had very little style to it, at least from what he could tell from the memories she had shown him and the description. However, that was also part of the genius of it. A proper swordsman only needs one, simple stroke, be it a slash or a stab to defeat the opponent. Her style would allow for that, after either dodging or enduring the enemy's assault and tiring them out.

And stamina was something he had in spades.

He was shaken from the rather pleasant, if professional, conversation as the first of the class began to trickle in, he was rather surprised to see that, of all those that he had expected, it was Ino who entered the room. She seemed too lost in her own world, looking like she was trying her best to stave off tears that, should they fall, could end her.

Before he had much of a chance to consider what was going on there Sakura entered, absently he watched her move to sit the absolute furthest from the blond girl, something that was rather bizarre in of itself, as, while they were rivals for the classes 'best ninja' they still seemed to enjoy one another's company. A part of him noticed that she seemed to have a rather haunted look in her eyes, however after looking at things a bit more logically he couldn't bring himself to truly care. Yes, she was his old crush, but as they say, 'when you become a man you put away childish things.'

And this symbol on his obi said, in no uncertain terms, that he was a man now, if only in the eyes of the village's military.

He propped one foot on the edge of the desk and used it to push back, leaning in the chair and crossing his arms on his chest as though he were quite relaxed, but still, he had to wonder what was wrong with the duo, and if it would, eventually, get them killed.

He may not like them, but he liked funerals even less.

Drifting back into his mind he listened to Harribel's thoughts on the matter, her thoughts were simply a fight, after all, she had seen his memories of the pair, so it did stand to reason that they could have gone too far in one such confrontation and had hurt one another, in this case, it seemed Ino was the injured party. Still, the better to focus on how he could improve himself rather than obsessing over something that couldn't influence him right now. Indeed Harribel had told him as much that the other three, her followers, would never accept those two as hosts, both only seemed to be interested in a boy, and that was no way for a warrior to behave. There was a time and a place for romance, but it didn't belong in a class that taught assassins how to operate.

As he was lost in her lecture of such things, chuckling silently at her joke that 'moods were things for cattle rearing and loveplay.' He felt someone climbing the stairs that he had had a run in with once already.

'_Kiba…'_

"What are you doing here? This is only for those that graduated!"

Not bothering to open his eyes he only flexed his calf, rocking himself slightly, "Then, clearly, I've graduated."

"Bullshit! We all saw last week, you never got your hitai-ate."

"Troublesome…Kiba, look at his waist."

"Stay out of this Shi..ka..maru?"

Naruto didn't bother to look up as a few others got closer to him, he could feel the eyes on him and fought the urge to sigh in annoyance. "What do you want?"

"What's with the new cloths Dobe?"

Cracking one eye he saw Sasuke several rows below him now leaning back in his own chair far enough to look up at him, "Do you care?"

"Hrn…"

Again, he pushed the stares aside, it was strange, a short time ago he would have killed to have this much attention, at least when a prank wasn't involved, but now…

'_Thank you, Harribel-sama.' _A silent nod was all he received, but he knew she appreciated it, if the odd tickle in the back of his mind was anything to go by at least.

The hushed whispers of the room finally seemed to reach a high point before they were all silenced by Iruka entering the room, albeit slowly as he was still rather thoroughly bandaged.

"Holy shit! Iruka-sensei, what happened to you!"

The scared chunin gave a weak smile, his eyes glancing up to Naruto with lightning quickness before he looked to Kiba, "I training accident, nothing terribly serious."

The brash young Inuzuka let out a bark of laughter, "I bet it was your girlfriend, wasn't it?"

He let out a laugh of his own before shaking his head, "No…if I had I'm sure I would be in worse shape…now, all of you, first I would like to congratulate you all for graduating the academy, I must say I have never been more pr-"

"Iruka-sensei, if this is for graduates then why is _he _here."

He let out an annoyed sigh as more looked up to Naruto, though some part of him noticed that Ino and Sakura seemed to only just now realize he was here. He fought the urge to laugh as the full blush's that both Ino and Hinata sported at seeing the boy's rather revealing outfit, their eyes lingering on his stomach area. Even he was a bit surprised to see how strong Naruto seemed to be now that he was out of that full body jumper.

Harribel also noticed, and they didn't need to know about the repairs she had been making. He wouldn't be like some of her old comrades, but he wouldn't be weak when she was done with him.

"Kiba, we found out afterwards that there had been a mistake on his written exam, Naruto passed with flying colors, now if I can avoid any more _interruptions_, I can get on with your team assignments…"

"S-Sorry sensei…"

Naruto quickly tuned out the names that were now being rattled off, absently noting that Ino was paired with Shikamaru and Chouji. Hinata was now on a tracking team. Sasuke and Sakura were paired with a newcomer who had apparently been home schooled for some time, a rather pale boy with a creepy grin.

He didn't care.

What he did care about, was when Iruka had said something about team nine already being in rotation, but that he would be assigned to them as backup for a mission they had coming up, and based on that he would then have himself an instructor.

"Heh…so the class last can't even get a real teacher, he's just backup for some other team…how pathetic."

A few snickers filled the room before the wooden door slid open once more, this time showing another Hyuuga, this one seeming to make Hinata all the more nervous. "Actually, Inuzuka, he is slated to replace me for a C rank, as members of my clan are not permitted to travel to Kumo."

The whole of the class went still at that, last year's rookie of the year, was being _replaced_ by this year's _Dobe_!

Without a word Naruto rose to his feet and began moving down the steps, only to find an arm barring his passage, "Figures that you would be replacing some weak Hyuuga, try not to die before you find some little _pissant_ to train you, maybe then you can last ten seconds in the ring with me."

Sasuke had been many things to Naruto over the years. A rival, a thorn in his side in his pursuit of Sakura, A grudging friend, however, right now, after finding someone as wonderful as Harribel to be in his life, he was an enemy.

So focused on his anger he didn't notice the woman in question's slight blush, the boy could be a real flatterer when he wanted to be.

"Uchiha, remove your hand, before I remove it from you."

The whole of the class froze, even their teacher was taken aback by the blonds' words. Of all the things to come out of his mouth they didn't expect a threat. Most were expecting him to try and insult him back, Iruka was thinking that he would just push past and not seem to care, given his recent personality changes.

None were expecting the look of cold furry now leveled on the teen, a torrent of fridge ice over rocky seas.

Sasuke could only scowl as he rose slowly from his seat, "You would _dare_ to threaten _me_, Dobe?"

Naruto didn't both to answer, he had said his piece already. He could feel his heart beginning to pound harder as his muscles tensed, his body rolling to the balls of his feet in anticipation of the fight to come.

"Uchiha." The raven haired teen looked up to the Hyuuga in the doorway, one who had a slight smirk on his face, "If Uzumaki has been chosen for this mission by Lord Hokage, then he is ready, and could kill you without incident. Stand aside, before I opt to let him. After all, he is fated to be above you, if he can replace me."

Sasuke bristled at that and was about to rush the white eyed clan member when he felt a hand gently come to rest on his wrist. Looking up he saw Naruto hadn't truly budged, only keeping that look of hate on him as his grip slowly tightened. "Remove. Your. Hand."

Before they could do more Iruka seemed to be able to come out of his stupor. "ENOUGH! Sasuke, Naruto has to meet up with his team, let him go. Naruto, don't threaten your classmates, you may come to rely on them in the future."

"Tsk…only if I need to have something stolen…"

"What did you say?"

"I didn't stutter."

"_Naruto_!"

"Forgive me, Iruka-sensei, I will be off now."

Without waiting for Sasuke to let go he gave the boy's wrist a harsh squeeze, making the teen almost drop to his knees, and those close to wince at the pops coming from his arm. As he released him the Uchiha rubbed his wrist in pain for a few moments before sitting down, glowering at the back of the blond as he fell into step with the Hyuuga, _'You'll pay for that Dobe…'

* * *

_

"You know…I think I may come to like you Uzumaki." Rather than answering he arched an eyebrow, "His clan and my own have been feuding for some time…"

"And you see me as an ally in this…feud?"

"Aren't you?"

"I have no love for the Uchiha, if that's what you mean, but I also have no desire to get close to the Hyuuga. They have their own transgressions to atone for. Wouldn't you agree?"

Naruto was no fool; he had seen enough of the clan around to know what it meant when one of their members had their headbands on their foreheads.

The branch clan, little more than slaves. Yet they had been behind his pain as well in the past. "I do sympathize with _part_ of your family, but understand, you have very far yet to go…"

Neji was thrown slightly by the blonds' words. He had seen Naruto around as well as anyone, hell, their clan had been on the receiving end of a number of pranks, but to be told something like that was…galling. That this orphan _peasant_ would tell him, a Hyuuga off like that? "A pity, I thought we could be friends…"

He arched another eyebrow at that, the blank indifference in his stare shaking him slightly, even the Clan Head would show more emotion, "Are you saying that you, alone, will atone for your family's past? If so, then yes, we will not be able to be friends. Perhaps when you become your own person there will be another chance…"

If anything, that stunned him more than his other statement, Naruto had issues with the family, just as he did, but he wasn't going to hold him accountable for it?

"Maybe I was right the first time, Naruto Uzumaki. My name is Neji Hyuuga."

He gave the teen a slight nod, "A pleasure."

The unlikely duo quickly made their way to the Hokage Tower, drawing a number of odd stares as the strangely dressed 'Kyuubi Brat' and the 'Hyuuga Prodigy' made their way through the streets. Not bothering to so much as look at the ANBU guards manning the outer gate they headed inside before climbing the stairs, the secretary quickly waving them in.

Inside Naruto was mildly surprised to see probably one of the strangest dressed men he had yet to encounter…and his miniature clone. Slightly behind him, trying to appear unrelated to the strange duo was the bun-haired girl from that morning. However, it was the fifth occupant of the room that seemed to throw him, there, standing before the Hokage, was a man with gravity-defying grey hair.

"You summoned me, Hokage-sama?"

The elderly leader looked around the jonin to give something of a pained smile, the slightly of glances to the man before him unnoticed the others save Naruto, who was rapidly becoming a master of such subtle movements.

"Ah, Naruto-kun, I trust that you received your assignment?" He gave the same, almost invisible nod, "This is Might Gai, he will be your sensei for this mission an-"

"Hokage-sama, if I may?"

Sarutobi almost growled at being interrupted, "Yes, Kakashi-san?"

"About my request…"

"Ah, yes, how could I have forgotten…" It was not lost on those in the room that the Hokage's rather tight voice was only just concealing his displeasure with the man.

That morning, while Naruto had been training, the jonin had seen fit to arrive at the village leader's door and began pestering him about the team assignments, how he was the Fourth's student and should train his son, how he had made a promise to care for the boy as if he were his own, how he would become the next Hokage under his tutelage.

Sarutobi wished he could stand up-wind of that kind of bullshit.

"Naruto, I have been _asked_ to offer you a position on team seven when your current mission is complete, are you at all interested?"

"Team Seven…Sasuke Uchiha, Sakura Haruno, Kakashi Hatake…am I correct?"

The silver haired jonin raised a hand, his single visible eye showing a clear smile, "Yo!"

"Hatake-san, I presume?"

"Yep!"

"If I were to take such an offer, what would we be learning?"

"Well, first team building, of course, then chakra con-"

"Gai-san, what would I be learning under you on this mission?"

The response was a subdued one, something that seemed to shock those present in the room, but none more than the brunette behind him, "Initially, group strategy and dynamics through physical conditioning. Taijutsu theory and practice, development of persona-"

"I choose to, should the option be available, stay with team nine."

Kakashi's eye seemed to narrow at that, even as Sarutobi and Gai smirked, "Why would you dismiss my teachings so quickly? I know Gai explained it a little better bu-"

"That is precisely _why_ I accepted. If you lack either the skill or drive to thoroughly explain your teachings to a potential student, then how can you actually teach? Beyond that you seem to emphasize team building, however, given the nature of those under you there will be next to no camaraderie that can from. The Haruno is nothing but a waif who does not train, preferring stalking with an utter lack of finesse and reading. The Uchiha seems to think he is better than, at the least, myself and Hyuuga-san here-"

"Neji."

"Neji-san then. If I am to understand the logic for team assignments, then she is probably last year's top kunoichi, Neji-san was the rookie of the year, and if I am correct then he was the 'dead last' yes? As such these teams were meant to balance out the deficiencies of the group. The two best can help the least and overall make for a stronger team, correct?"

The group was stunned to silence as Naruto picked apart their group, "Y-Yes Naruto-kun, you are correct."

"Then, fundamentally, Hatake's team will not work for me, as with my…changes…I could destroy the Uchiha rather easily. Beyond that, as mentioned, he sees himself as the better of those around him, judging by the actions that are well on record in the academy. He has refused time and again to participate in the team exercises, even when ordered, something that was not disciplined. In spars he would ruthlessly destroy his opponents, not caring about physical injury to those around him, despite the perceived difference in skills."

"Oh? And where did you get this information?"

"Simple, Hokage-sama, my own eyes and ears. I was in his class after all. Neji-san, if you were to go up against your classes 'dead last' while in the academy, when would you have seen fit to stop the match?"

He seemed to study the smaller of the clones, the teen seeming to take great interest in where this would be going, if the little notepad that he was furiously scribbling in was anything to go by. "In past spars I relented when Lee-san was disabled, but still able to act under his own power, I would not strike at the tenketsu, as that can be fatal if used improperly."

"You would use your bloodline?"

"Yes, we were told to use what skills we had, so that our foes may learn how to counter them, should the need arise, and help foster an understanding of the bloodlines and clan skills of the village."

"I see. On over twenty separate occasions over the last seven years Sasuke would go for, not disabling, but debilitating strikes. Often breaking bones and ensuring that those in the class would be hindered for a time, if not outright crippled. Among many in the class there was a level of outright fear for the boy. Most of the girls and the civilian boys would admire his strength, assuming they were not on the receiving end of such a spar, however the others knew better. Many giving up outright so that they could further their training, rather than having to take a sabbatical from their lessons."

"So you simply don't want to be on my team because you are afraid of him"

Naruto let out a 'tsk' before glaring at Kakashi, the coldness in his stare almost palpable, "Incorrect, I have _never_ feared anyone in the class. In my spars with him I was defeated soundly, though that can hardly be held against me, as my training in the field was sabotaged. Hokage-sama has full details, something you _should _have been aware of…Hatake-san." The jonin had the good grace to fidget slightly at that, "Are we finished here? I need to be properly introduced to Gai-sensei's team and to resume my training."

Gai let a massive grin come over his features, something that the now identified Lee now mirrored as Neji and Tenten nodded. Sarutobi offered a slight smile before looking to Kakashi, "Is that satisfactory, Kakashi-san?"

The jonin just seemed to smile larger than before, "Actually, I think if anything, I want him in my team more…perhaps we should take this to the cou-"

"That, is as far as you go Hatake. He is a ninja under my command, the _civilian_ council has no say in this matter."

"Ah…but he hasn't passed his genin test yet…"

"Irrelevant." All heads turned to Naruto, "The moment you placed me as reserve on an existing team it became official, I _am_ a genin of Konoha, Hatake-san, and as such, only my sensei and the Hokage can order me to do anything. Even those that outrank me, without express orders or an overriding situation cannot order me to do so much as eat lunch. Correct Hokage-sama?"

Sarutobi knew it was a good idea to let Naruto read those books when he was younger, "Indeed. Now then, you're dismissed. Gai-san, I expect your team to be ready by the end of the month. Take any missions you need in the meantime, but you _will _be ready for the Kumo mission by the appointed time."

Gai again flashed a grin and gave the aged leader a thumbs up, "OF COURSE! WE WILL HAVE NARUTO-KUN'S FLAMES OF YOUTH BURNING BRIGHTLY BY DAY'S END! COME MY YOUTHFUL STUDENTS! WE ARE OFF!"

Naruto twitched slightly as he looked at the man and what could be his son running from the tower, "A-Are they always like that?"

Tenten clapped a comforting hand on his shoulder and had her eyes widen at the hardness of it, _'Holy crap! He's __**built**__'_ "Unfortunately…yes, but they're not bad guys…when you get past the eyebrows…the hair…the spandex…the-"

A hollow chuckle filled the air as the group left the tower, yes, things were certainly…

…Interesting…


	5. Chapter 5: City of Doors

Disclaimer: You know the line. Nothing be mine.

A/N: I know I had promised to get Light's next chapter out, but my fans can be a bit…persuasive…That and many of you were wanting to know exactly why Naruto didn't seem to happy with Kakashi, that's shown here, for the observant ^_^

Next I'll be finishing my edit for Rapture's chapy, then probably work on Light unless something else get's itself in my head (Always possible…and quite often likely)

I will ask that you bear with me, as, in addition to the stories here I'm currently trying to get my armies back up to snuff (Some got crunched in the car .) for the impending Warhammer update ^_^ I hope they make my beloved Tomb Kings playable again…

Special thanks to LoPe21 and Whitedragon17 for their help with my tales ^_^ Their always a big help..

Oh, and I updated this to put it in the crossover section, I'd completely spaced doing it before, being more intent on butting it up under Samui, but I suppose it would make a bit more sense if it was put in the Naruto/Harribel area ya?

* * *

Shards

Chapter 5: City of Doors

* * *

_Infinite doors._

_Nary a soul._

_Herald the travelers._

_To a world of old._

_Pity us not,_

_Though these streets do rot._

_What our world holds chained._

_Shall never be attained._

_-Naruto Uzumaki, Densetsu no Same Ten'nō

* * *

_

For Kakashi Hatake things had been…less than pleasant. After the newly expanded Team Gai had left he had been told, in no uncertain terms, that he was to stay away from his sensei's son, on penalty of his removal from the shinobi program.

Well, he couldn't have that, he had his orders.

Instead he had suggested to the Hokage that, should Gai and the other sensei agree, that they should have group training sessions, in order to potentially expand on what it was that each team was capable of, as well as take advantage of pooled resources that such a situation offered, after all, he didn't know many genjutsu, and was quite limited in the medical field, so he believed that his new student Sakura could benefit there. Similarly, Kurenai wasn't the most proficient in taijutsu, so it would prove beneficial if Gai or Asuma could spend time with her students.

All in all, it was quite the convincing pitch, if he didn't say so himself. Eventually, after mulling over the possibilities that the suggestion offered he agreed, under the provision that should any of the team leaders opt out that they would not be pressured.

Kakashi had to fight the urge to smirk at that, if he put the challenge to Gai, he would never turn him down, even if their friendship was a bit more…strained as of late.

As the cyclopean jonin made his way down the street he caught a glimpse of something out of the corner of his eye.

An orange something.

With a new, happy tune echoing through the back of his mind he turned on his heel, one foot still in the air, and made his way into the bookstore.

* * *

An odder group may not have been seen in Konoha to this date, two individuals in green spandex bodysuits, a girl in Chinese styled clothing, something that was native to Iwa, a Hyuuga and a blond in a rather…revealing white outfit.

Together they had moved steadily outside of the village and made their way to training ground ten, a place with a bit less trees than the other grounds, instead it possessed large stones and targets scattered around the grounds to offer up a target range as well as a place to practice earth techniques.

Once there the group spread out slightly, Gai and Lee still side-by-side, Neji now seated under a tree, almost as though he were about to start meditating, and Tenten seating herself on a rather large boulder that Naruto was now leaning against, his arms crossed on his chest.

"Alright my most youthful students. I know you know each other quite well, however Naruto-kun is new to our most youthful group, so why don't we introduce ourselves to him. I am Might Gai, the beautiful green beast of Konoha and the sensei of these youthful genin for the past year. For me, training is one of the greatest pleasures and key to an enjoyable life. My dream is to see that my loveable students attain their own. My only dislikes are those that would abuse others and not offer to help should they be able, as well as those who don't keep their word."

He gave something of a poignant look to Neji but before the pale eyed boy could answer Lee leapt forward, one hand raised high as though asking a question. "GAI-SENSEI! I REQUEST TO GO NEXT!"

Gai gave a slight chuckle as he clapped the boy on his back, "As you wish my student, your flames indeed burn brightly…."

"YOSH! I am Rock Lee, the proud blue beast of Konoha! My dream is to become the greatest taijutsu user in the world, and become a splendid ninja! I enjoy training and pushing my limits so that I can defeat my eternal rival Neji! My dislikes are the same as my youthful sensei!"

Gai grinned gave him a thumbs up, "Well done my student, Neji-kun, if you would…"

"Gai-sensei! I have one more request!"

"Oh?"

"Sensei, if I may ask, why didn't you mention your youthful rival Kakashi-san?"

His three students stiffened slightly as the tall jonin suddenly scowled. They had never seen the man _mad_ before, one of the things he was most known for was always keeping a smile on his face, even in the heart of battle. "Kakashi-san is indeed my rival, Lee-kun, however, his flames of youth are…in question now."

"Sensei…we've all seen you and your contests…he's like your best friend…what happened?"

"Tenten-chan, the beautiful flower of our team, you are quite perceptive to have seen this,' said kunoichi looked more than a bit annoyed at the little name he had given her, 'however, it is not my place to slander another jonin, if it is anyone's place to say something then it is our new, youthful, member Naruto-san. Now then, Neji?"

"I am Neji Hyuuga, son of the deceased head of the branch family of the Hyuuga clan. I specialize in taijutsu as well as scouting and reading situations with my Byakugan. I dislike the ma….I dislike Kumo, as they were responsible for the death of my father. My dream…" It was clear they weren't going to get more from the boy.

"Tenten?"

The girl eyed Neji for a moment, concern evident in her eyes as she saw the way he tensed. "I-I'm Tenten, I specialize in ranged weapons and enjoy training in new weapon styles as well as my part time job at the weapons shop. My dream is to show everyone that a woman can be just as powerful as a man when it comes to being a ninja, just like my idol Tsunade. I hate those that will mock my dream and those that look down on me for being a girl."

Most of the men looked more than a little uncomfortable as Tenten suddenly had a kunai in hand, seeming to cackle darkly as she thought of a few people. Naruto looked up at her with a quirked brow. "Why?"

The three men, even the normally stoic Neji tried to wave him off, "Why? WHY! You think it's RIGHT that they look down on women!"

"No, you know I do not think that way, what I mean to say is why would they look down on you for being a woman?"

That caught her off guard, "Haven't you noticed how few women become kunoichi!"

He have a slight, almost invisible nod, "Indeed, though I feel that has more to do with the lack of serious training in the academy, rather than any form of innate resentment for your gender."

"That lack of training is BECAUSE of that! BAKA!"

He sent the bun haired girl a harsh scowl, "Do not call me that. I am no fool. Before you blame society, look to the council that dictates the course curriculum of the academy. They are the ones responsible for such ineffective classes as _flower arranging_ being taught at a military institute. You knew Iruka-sensei and Mizuki, did they ever act disparaging towards an girls in your class?" She shook her head, "Did _any_ teacher act as such? Does Gai-sensei? Or any of the other ninja in the village?" She bit her lip at that and shook her head. "Then what makes you think this?"

"T…There are so few of us…and we are looked down on for not being able to use lar-"

"Large scale ninjutsu or some of the 'more powerful' fighting styles?" She nodded, "Ridiculous. If a woman trained appropriately then she can attain the same level of skill, just as Tsunade. It is simply the fact that men are more innately suited for the blunt, while women are suited for finesse. You didn't listen when Harribel-sama and I spoke earlier, did you?"

"What do you mean? I listened…"

"Then what did you learn?"

"Well, she didn't seem to care if she beat the shit out of you…you mentioned that your style didn't use your hands, that you never stop pressing your advantage, that you shouldn't match opponents who are stronger than you blow for blow, instead look to changing the field to something more advantageous…"

"Yes, this is what was said, but what did you _learn_?"

"I…"

She seemed to flounder a bit, unused to being put on the spot, "It's not that our style didn't use our hands, it's that we _can't_. Yes, there are a few strikes that use both hands, but even that is almost frowned upon from what I'm told, and a real master will never resort to this. If you cannot match an opponent blow for blow then _grow stronger_, that or find a way to overcome them another way, that is the heart of our style. None of the people here think you are weak, correct?" The gathered men nodded, though Lee almost jumped out of his legwarmers cheering, "Then you must not think of yourself this way. If you encounter an opponent who thinks thusly then use it to defeat them, but don't let it consume you to the point that you believe that those who call you friend will think less of you."

She stared at the blond in shock for several long moments before looking to those on her team, Neji's slight nod as well as the pair of 'beasts' who had tears running down their cheeks as they gave the duo a thumbs up. "M-My student…his FLAMES BURN BRIGHTLY!"

Naruto's brow twitched slightly even as he heard the same, gentle laughter in his head courtesy of Harribel. "I suppose I am next…my name is Naruto Uzumaki, age sixteen and newly minted genin of the village. I was the dead last of this year and am still working to correct this. My likes are training, ramen, those who treat me well and Harribel-sama. My dislikes are people that will harm others without reason, rapists and those that will belittle or oppress others. My dream for the future is to find a way to free Harribel-sama and her followers from their prison."

That gave the group pause, "Prison?"

"Yes Tenten-san, due to…unique circumstances Harribel-sama and her friends are trapped, and I pledged myself to help free them."

"But…I met her earlier today."

'_Show them.'_

'_Harribel-sama…are you sure?'_

Naruto didn't answer for a time before he gave another slight nod. Bringing up one hand he gathered his chakra, making the others look on in confusion before they noticed the air getting dryer. Slowly water began to form around his hand before it pulled off and took form. As the basic shape finished construction it began to take on color until Harribel stood before them, the blond making Neji's eyes bug out slightly even as both Gai and Lee's eyes widened. "Forgive my sudden appearance; I am Tia Harribel, teacher to Uzumaki-san."

Gai chuckled a bit as he moved over and clapped Naruto on his shoulder, his eyes widening a bit at the harness of the boy's shoulders. "Ah, my youthful student, Hokage-sama warned me about your passion for pranks, I'm glad to see it was not exaggerated."

He quirked an eyebrow at that even as Harribel turned to look at the bowl-cut man, "I am no _prank_."

If anything his smile grew as he patted him on the back, "An impressive use of your clone technique Naruto-kun, you impress even me, she is most lifelike."

"Gai-sensei…"

"While I am indeed a water clone…I am no _puppet_. I have entered into a contract with Uzumaki-san, as such I am a part of him until such a time as it is completed."

"Contract?"

"Yes, Neji-san, understand, if we explain this then it cannot leave this group unless I or the Hokage allow it, this is an S-class secret. Do you wish to know?"

Harribel moved to lean against the stone with Naruto, the two could have been siblings, Team Gai all exchanged looks before nodding as one, "I promise you Naruto-kun, your secrets will not leave this circle."

Tenten laughed a bit at that, "What, no challenge to yourself should you fail Gai-sensei?"

His face became stern once more, causing all three to snap to attention, "Tenten-chan, if an S-class secret is leaked then I will not have that option. I will be dead. Just like any of you should you do the same." The trio gulped before looking to the blonds, both with their eyes shut as they waited.

"Are you all certain?" They nodded, though Lee's was quite a bit more vigorous, "Very well. One week ago, as many of you may have heard, the forbidden scroll of sealing was stolen, by myself, at the behest of Mizuki." The group gasped a bit at this, "I had been told that this was a makeup test, not unlike what you, Lee, had to go through in order to graduate, as I am unable to make normal bunshin due to the amount of chakra I possess. My task was simple. Retrieve the scroll, then deliver it to Mizuki. I, in my wisdom,' He chuckled a bit at that, as did Harribel, the two laughing at the little joke, 'thought it would be a good idea to check what the scroll held, if it had anything I could learn to ensure that I passed. I stumbled upon a very old seal that trapped my hand. Panicking, I channeled chakra into my arm to try and free myself and in the process unsealed several masks. As I was studying the largest of them Iruka-sensei surprised me and I fell onto it, breaking my nose and starting the process."

"Naruto-kun, why didn't you go to the Hokage about this before acting?"

He opened one eye and turned it to Lee, the boy looking more than a bit confused, "Lee-san, I trusted my teacher…why would he try and deceive me?" The boy seemed to shrink a bit at the thought, "The mask bonded to me, in some ways freeing Harribel-sama, but also trapping her. In the end all she has done is trade one cell for another…"

"Uzumaki-san, you know I don't think of you as such. You are working hard to help me and my friends, and for that I cannot do enough to repay you."

Naruto's eyes softened as he looked up at Harribel and gave a small nod. "W-When I awoke Mizuki was about to kill me, Harribel-sama largely took over, protecting me and defeating Mizuki so that the ANBU could take him away. Afterwards Hokage-sama gave me the mizu bunshin technique and told me that if I could master it to the best of my skills by the end of the next day he would pass me. Now here I am."

The group was quiet for a time before Tenten broke the silence, "Naruto-san, what all is she teaching you? I saw your taijutsu match, and she had mentioned kenjutsu, just what all are you learning from her?"

"Taijutsu, kenjutsu, water manipulation, though we have yet to start that training, as well as many skills unique to her. Though, to be honest, I am far less interested in my own strength, all I care about is finding a way to free her."

Harribel's eyes softened a bit as she looked to the shorter blond, "Naruto-kun, you keep saying that this most youthful lady here is trapped, how can that be?"

"Lee-san…this would be another secret, do you all think you can handle two in one day? I have already told you about the scroll incident, and my freeing an ancient power that then bonded to me, can you endure more?"

Without hesitation Lee and Gai nodded, Neji and Tenten coming soon after as the group took seats in the clearing, "As you wish. Harribel-sama, would you care to do the honors?"

She gave him a slight nod, "When Uzumaki-san and I bonded I had found myself in a…strange place. There I met an entity that you all know as Kyuubi." The gathered genin gasped and looked to their sensei, the man only looking on grimly, "It would seem that Uzumaki-san had this creature sealed inside him on the day of his birth, though I know little of the details, the fox has been…less than forthcoming due to our situation."

The other genin looked more than a little confused even as Gai's eyes widened. He sent the blonds a hard look of warning, only earning a placating gesture from Naruto and a bored look from Harribel. "Naruto, perhaps it would be better to wait…I'm not certain that our team is ready for this afterall…" Again, the genin were shocked by their sensei, this was becoming quite the day…

"Gai-sensei, they claim they are ready to hear this, and should I learn to utilize my more…unique skills, questions will be asked. Better to get this out of the way now."

After a moment of thought he let out a sigh and nodded, Naruto was right, who knows what would happen when he learned to tap into _its_ power. Gai's voice echoed through the clearing, even the birds seemed to be listening with rapt attention. "Harribel-san, what is happening with the Kyuubi? What has happened to the seal?"

Harribel gestured to Naruto, the boy channeling a bit of chakra and allowing the seal on his stomach to appear, shocking the group. "Uzumaki-san, is the container of the Kyuubi no Kitsune. At least for a bit longer…"

Naruto and Harribel both took careful note of the reactions from the group, Harribel slowly rising to the balls of her feet even as Naruto let one hand stray behind him, to the kunai pouch he kept at the small of his back, if they were not going to accept him, if they were to attack, then they would make quite the mess before they fell. Gai's face was an oddly emotionless mask, something that just seemed…wrong on the spandex clad man, they could see his odd glance to his students, looking to their reactions as much as the blonds were. Neji had his bloodline activated as he seemed to be focused wholly on the seal, studying it intently and seeming to take note of the bits of chakra that moved throughout his network. Lee was slightly bouncing on the balls of his feet, looking incredibly excited while Tenten looked more confused than anything, though also quite hesitant. "Naruto-san, w-why is it in you? The Fourth killed it…didn't he?"

Naruto shook his head, "From what I understand, it was too strong, he was forced to seal it into something that could grow and adapt to the changes, in this instance, it was a newborn baby, anything less and it would have broken free."

"T-That's why they were giving us those looks…on the way to the tower, wasn't it?" He nodded, "And…when you said you had problems with my clan…"

Naruto simply looked down at that, though he could feel Harribel's rage smoldering within him, "That fighting style of yours…it's shockingly effective, Neji-san."

Neji flinched at Harribel's words, he had heard sometimes, just after the yearly festivities, that there was the perfect 'Kyuubi practice dummy' for the clans to practice on…he had been no different…he had even been looking forward to the day he was skilled enough to try it out…but now… "I-I am sorry, Naruto-san…"

"You didn't do anything, most of the time they were stopped before it could get to bad."

The group winced, their thoughts the same, 'most of the time…'

"C-Can it get loose? I mean…what's really holding it back…seals can be overpowered, even the best will fail over time…"

"Originally, it seemed to be the pure strength of the seal. Now it is Harribel-sama, she is slowly draining off its power, as she said; it will not be much longer before it is a thing of the past."

"Naruto-kun! Truly your flames burn brightly for keeping the beast at bay for so long! If I may ask, what does this have to do with Hatake-san?"

Again Naruto was silent, Harribel eyeing him for a moment before letting out a tired sigh, "Hatake was the student of the Forth…he has his own beliefs when it comes to Uzumaki-san, none of them good I'm afraid. Speaking of, Uzumaki-san, do you wish me to proceed?"

He cocked his head at her in confusion for a moment, then seemed to nod to himself, as though remembering something, "Do as you will Harribel-san, I will not stop you."

She gave a very slight bow to those gathered before turning on her heel and moving towards Naruto's apartment, Gai looked more than a little concerned as he watched her go, "Naruto-kun…what is it that she is going to do to him?"

"Nothing, just giving him something I've had for a long time, something he seemed to really want."

* * *

A perverse giggle echoed across a rooftop as Kakashi sat on the roof of the school, his new book happily in hand as he waited for his students to show. He had been initially surprised to see the odd group when he arrived; he knew the Uchiha was a brooder, many of his clan was, at least, when they were alive, but this time he seemed to be in a darker mood, almost seething at the thought of something.

That was new.

Then there was the Haruno, from what he had been told she was a complete and total fan girl, her parents even supported it, and when he examined her room he was a bit disturbed to see a small collections of pictures arranged in her closet almost like a shrine. However, here she was, sitting in a chair several seats from the raven haired teen and not even trying to get him to look her way, instead she had her hands in her lap, just staring at the desktop seemingly lost in thought.

Far from normal.

Then there was the last, the council appointed child of Danzo known only as Sai, this one, in a disturbing way, was the most 'normal' of the group, though his techniques with ink were nothing to laugh about. He did notice that the boy seemed to have an almost permanent, somewhat disturbing smile plastered on his face.

Kinda creepy…

Feeling the slight wells of power moving up the stairs he quickly snapped his new little treasure shut and stashed it into his weapons pouch before assuming his rather bored persona. Te group quickly entered the impromptu sitting area and formed a little line before the jonin.

"Alright, let's get this started then shall we? Why don't we introduce ourselves to each other? Pinky, you're up first…"

The introductions did little to shake him from his initial thoughts on his team. Sakura seemed to be the definition of a fan girl, something that was going to be hard for him to break, he never did succeed with his own teammate…Though he did notice that she was rather quiet when it came to her dislikes, that she had flinched slightly at the very idea.

Sasuke was predictable, he had wanted to kill _him_ and to revive his clan to their former glory, so that they could achieve the kind of power they once had. He knew the signs of his father when he saw them, the former clan head had always been…strict, when it came to his views on his clan. Some had wondered if it wasn't some form of a spell that had been used on Itachi initially that had caused the boy's meteoric rise in strength, but when lightning didn't strike twice with Sasuke the idea was quickly toss out. Though simply because the boy had not been able to get his power at that rate didn't mean that he wasn't pressed to the breaking point, and the death of his clan had only propelled him to new heights it seemed.

After Naruto had so blatantly pointed out the boy's acts in the academy Kakashi had gone to check the truth of the matter, at first thinking that it was just the spiteful words of the 'dead last' however, after finding a non-biased report in the form of Iruka he was disappointed to learn he wasn't exaggerating in the slightest. Yes, Sasuke was known for his brooding ways, that much was obvious to anyone involved, however when it came to certain demonstrations or training the boy didn't seem to know restraint.

He never went out of his way to injure, he just stuck as hard as he could, as fast as he could to win, not a bad quality in a ninja, but when you are training with friends…

He was going to have to pound the idea of restraint into the boy's head.

Lastly was Sai…the boy was an utter enigma. He was supposed to be the son of one of the village elders, the old tactician Danzo, but the boy didn't seem to have any real idea as to how to interact with others, almost instantly insulting Sakura and questioning if the Uchiha had a penis.

This was going to be a headache…

The jonin was currently wondering if he could somehow worm his way out of teaching again this year, at least a team that is, his book open as he moved casually down the street. He was keenly aware of the looks he was getting from many of the female populous; after all, openly reading porn was something that was largely frowned upon when he noticed it.

Soft white, mocha skin, blond hair.

Large breasts.

And she was heading right for him.

Lowering the book a bit to better take in the woman's appearance he was shocked to see how…unique her clothing was, a good number of the people staring as she moved down the street. She was rather tall, seemed to be quite fit, if her stomach was any indication of the rest of her muscle tone. Hair that was quite unique, breasts almost falling out of her top, rather revealing pants done in the style of the divided skirts that many samurai would wear.

Enthralling green eyes.

"Kakashi Hatake."

"Hm? I'm sorry, have we met?" _'I __**know**_ _I would have remembered that…'_ part of him was debating on using his sharingan just for the chance to better remember her.

"No. I have something for you…"

"Oh? Well I'm sure it's something you would rather give me in private…" _'lucky day!'_

"No. Here will be sufficient." Reaching back with one hand Kakashi couldn't help but tense a bit, long years of training were trying to override his…interest, but he was still trying to push that down. Yes, many women were attracted to him, but it had still been a while for him, bar girls got old after a while…and the really good ones seemed to be more interested in their own team…

After reaching into the obi at the small of her back she pulled out what looked to be a book, something that greatly confused him. Snapping his Icha Icha closed he held out a free hand and took the offered thing with an arched eyebrow.

He turned it over and froze.

"After hearing a recounting of the tale I felt that you may wish to have this book back Kakashi-san. Uzumaki-san seemed to think that you wouldn't care after all these years, but seeing as you enjoy your…literature so much I felt I should at least make the effort."

Scowling he threw the book to the ground, "Who are you! What is your purpose here!"

She simply arched an eyebrow before stooping and taking it back up. "I stated my purpose; perhaps you should pay better attention…"

The jonin vanished, appearing just behind her with a kunai pressed to her neck, "_Tell me_."

Not seeming in the slightest way phased she turned slowly, the blade making a thin line across pristine flesh, "You know, you were the first to teach him about true, primal fear…in a way he should thank you…after all, he had felt so little until that point in his life…I'll try and let him know that he should treasure that emotion…it ensures you're alive…does it not, Hatake. Though I think it would have been better to learn it in battle…not at that age…"

"Who ARE you!"

She seemed to grow quiet at that before leaning into the blade hard, piercing her neck, much to the jonin's horror, "A shark that smells fresh prey…"

Then her form seemed to waver, then fell away, soaking the street around them.

The book landed in the newly created puddle, opening and showing overly large letters with various pictures, the well worn pages stained with dirt.

And red smears.

* * *

Naruto stiffened slightly as the a rush of sensation flooded through him, a smug sense of satisfaction married with a mild, glowing rage.

'_Have fun?'_

She gave a half shrug, _'A bit, it was rather amusing seeing his…distraction, right until the end.'_

Naruto gave a quiet chuckle as he watched the team currently practicing, Lee and Neji sparing, Tenten working on her accuracy with Gai keeping a close watch on her, offering suggestions now and again when he saw her form wavering. Naruto currently was tasked with observing, seeing and understanding how it was they trained day in and day out. First was a warm-up, something that they had already completed, and after Tenten's tale of his bout with Harribel they agreed that he was warm enough.

They were a bit shocked to learn that he had broken his leg during it, only to then hobble off to his sword practice, though Lee seemed more than a little impressed and resolved to do the same the next time he was injured, something that was, for once, stomped out by Gai, pointing out that if he was injured in such a way that he wouldn't be able to train.

After a moment of thought Naruto shut his eyes and, with a bit of help from Harribel, found himself in his newly modified mindscape. The place was now quite impressive, it was almost like being transported to another world in many ways. The large, dank, sewer like expanse was now gone, replaced by a large city that seemed to be utterly abandoned. Where he once had large pipes, things he could only guess represented his chakra pathways, now there were large, sprawling buildings interconnected by thick vines, where there was once the old hallway that Harribel had described to him now there were many long streets with a number of homes, shops and alleyways branching off, some bared by thick, out of place looking doors.

Ahead, at the heart of the city was a massive stadium, the whole of the thing surrounded by statues of various men in women in different styles of clothing, the things almost like a map to their past fashions.

Even as he was getting closer he heard the roars, the clatter of heavy chains, the ground trembling from the stomps of some great beast.

"Kyuubi…"

"Correct. Uzumaki-san, what brings you here?"

He seemed to falter a bit, refusing to look her in the eye as he moved further down the street, "I…honestly I'm not sure…I think I just wanted to assure you that, despite what is going on in my life, that I was not forgetting my promise to you…but now…" She grew quiet at that, simply offering a presence as they walked, giving the boy a chance to collect his thoughts, "Now…I think I am curious of the fox…I have questions that I think you may possess the answer to, but I still want to see him at least once before you finish him."

"Uzu…Naruto…you know that I do not believe that you are forgetting our promise. I know you wish to prove yourself, but you already have to me. Remember your test…"

Despite himself he blushed, this was only the second time she had used his first name.

Her voice held a…gentleness when she said it that sent a shiver through him, he couldn't be sure if it was just his imagination though, "Yes…you never told me what all it entailed…"

"I've seen them…every one." He sent her a confused look, seeing her lay a gentle, almost cautious hand on one of the iron doors, it took a moment of thinking to understand what may lay beyond, they could only be…

His eyes widened at the thought before narrowing, not in anger, but in sorrow, ""I…I see…so it's pity then…"

His world erupted in pain, a searing heat rushing through his cheek where her hand had connected, "Fool, do you truly think that _I_ of all people would _pity_ you?"

He looked back in shock, more than a little hurt that she would strike him like that, "W-why else…even if you are trapped inside this place, you could get anyone you wanted…but you said you wanted to stay here…with me…"

Letting out a huff she stepped closer to the boy, enough to make his blush of embarrassment hide his glowing cheek, "Naruto…I _saw_ everything, not just the horror, but your strength to overcome it. Naruto…do you know what I represent?"

He gave a small shrug.

"Sacrifice. Each of my brothers represented a facet of death...time, wrath, we were all there, I was sacrifice."

"But-"

"When I was alive…when we were breaking free of this hell…I knew we wouldn't all be able to escape…"

His eyes softened a bit, "You stayed behind…"

She gave a hesitant nod, "My friends…Mila-Rosa…Sun-sun…Apache…they were all I had. Mila was injured, they were slowing the others down, and were being left behind…the fighting was thick, I knew we wouldn't make it if…"

Her eyes widened as she felt surprisingly, strong arms encircle her waist, the soft squeeze of a hug making her stiffen, dark memories flashing through her before she looked down to see Naruto holding her tight, one hand gently rubbing the small of her back. She was thankful that he was now above her breasts in height, otherwise that could have been…compromising. "Harribel-chan, you don't have to say more…I know how you feel…if it meant that you would get away I'd do the same in a heartbeat…" A shaking nod was his answer, unsteady hands coming up to wrap around him in return. "I…I know that I'm hardly the best person to offer support, you know better than anyone how much of a mess I am…but I'll always be here for you, Harribel-chan…"

The two stood in silence for a time, even the Kyuubi's roars seeming to quiet as the emotions swept through the boy's mind, a part of him knew that she knew everything that he was feeling at the moment.

And honestly he didn't care…

Two sides of the former espada were at war within her. Part wanted to lash out, tear away this _offending _thing that was latched around her midsection, the other half was basking in the comforting act, not having felt anything like this in a very long time. Slowly, that half began to win out, "Tia."

He looked up at her, emerald seas meeting sky blue, "Hm?"

"Call me Tia…"

Smiling eyes were her answer.


	6. Chapter 6: Training Day

Disclaimer: Really…I have to keep doing this? Don't you all know by now? I'm poor, nothing is mine…

A/N: I know I've been gone for a while, for that I apologize. I've been house-sitting for friends for a while and alas, all I've had to keep in contact with the outside world was my phone. So for those out there that I've not responded to properly through the review reply button I apologies.

Now for those that I can answer here, as I can't due to them not signing in or the like.

Dan: Yes, I do know what the base parts of chakra are, and yes, I know I could have gone the path that so many have and let him simply develop the ability to use the spiritual side (Many just let him magically know...) Me, I'm not going that path, if you think that will somehow make him weak or underpowered, or that I'm intending that for him then I'm afraid your mistaken.

Anon: Sorry to say it, but I'm pretty sure your wrong on the name bit, Firstly the Arrancars all seem to be based off of Spain or at least the Spanish language for techniques or naming, which have their names in the western style, secondly, most of even the manga translations will flip the names (Where applicable) for the English readers, hell, even Wiki presents them western style, so I'm pretty sure Tia is the first name in this instance.

To the person with the blank name that asked for a Naruto/x-man cross from me, I'm afraid I don't know a good number of those characters, I fell out of the X-man loop a_long_ time ago when they started mucking with time more than usual, not to mention messed with Rogue to the point that's she's a virtual goddess, but I'm always willing to hear folk out, if nothing else maybe I can help encourage you all to write ^_^

Those were the two that really came to mind, so I wanted to address them, if I forgot anyone, please let me know, I want to try and give an answer to all those that take the time to review my stories ^_^

A final note, I kinda go off on Sasuke a bit here, for those that don't like it I apologize, but it kinda fit for me here, so I ran with it.

EDIT: special thanks to Murasaki Tsukimaru for catching some of my asinine mistakes... And ya, I was kinda channeling Gurren there ^_^

* * *

Shards

Chapter 6: Training day.

* * *

"_Uzumaki…He defeated me once…_

_Never again…"_

_-Sabaku no Gaara_

_

* * *

_

"One, two, three, four…"

"Two, two, three, four…"

What in the nine hells had possessed him to undertake this training…

"Three, two, three, four.."

It had seemed like a good idea at the time…'_I'll do everything I have to, everything you did in order to master your style.'_

"YOSH! NARUTO'S FLAMES ARE BURNING BRIGHTLY!"

"INDEED HE IS MY YOUTHFUL STUDENT! LET US ALL STRIVE TO ACT AS HE!"

"I swear to Kami….if you two don't shut up…"

"You're only going to encourage them…"

What is it that had them fired up you may ask? That was rather simple. Currently Harribel had Naruto in a handstand position with a large rock balanced on the balls of each foot. On each count the busty blond was forcing the teen to lower himself to the point that his nose touched the ground before rising back up. At the end of each four count she would make him drop his legs into a perfect split before making him hold the stance and do the next set.

Times like this he wanted to cry…

"Four, two, three, four SPLIT! Twelve more sets, then we start on squats."

Naruto could only whimper.

This was how the next several weeks passed for the team and its new fledgling member. Rising before dawn to run laps around the village, breakfast, taijutsu form and jutsu theory, something that was broken into several stages for each of them.

For Naruto, Gai and Harribel focused on his water affinity, getting the blond to learn it's proper manipulation and formation to strength his eventual jutsu training, this was something even Harribel was finding useful. As every bit of knowledge she learned was something that she could use to help Naruto and herself adapt her techniques to the unique nature of chakra. Something they realized they couldn't just ignore after they had tried to focus on separating the spiritual and physical natures of chakra and very nearly killed themselves.

It seems that each of the individual elements of chakra were inherently unstable and actually had to be mixed for the safety of the user, if not, then the spiritual part would try and compress and internalize even as the physical tried to explode outwards.

The blond genin could honestly say that having part of your skin explode even as the rest of your finger tried to crush itself was _not_ something he would _ever_experience again.

He even got an apology out of the former Espada for that one…

For Lee he just continued to hone his taijutsu, though this was further tempered with Harribel's great experience, showing that the bowl cut boy was still telegraphing his moves, mostly by holding his breath before he struck. Something that Gai had failed to notice when moving at those speeds, how she could tell was still something that made the duo scratch their heads.

Neji, despite Gai's insistence, chose to focus on his taijutsu as well, though this was fleshed out a bit with chakra control exercises, something that had fascinated Harribel to no end. They found out it wasn't uncommon for her…people to use their spiritual powers to somehow walk on air, but the lack of that skill here was something that was still taking her a bit to get used to, so when she found out that they could walk on vertical surfaces and even water then she stopped all training in his fighting styles and manipulation to learn it. Tree walking had taken them most of the day after Gai insisted on them laying on the ground, calmly adjusting the level of chakra, then walking up the tree slowly.

After that it was another week to master fully water walking, as the constantly shifting surface coupled with their still fluctuating chakra levels was something that was taking a of getting used to. The skills Neji were working on were clan specific, something he did apologize for not being able to teach them, but that didn't stop Gai from suggesting that they combine the different skills that they had been learning thus far before he would start them on the next level of exercises.

For Tenten she had been taking the time to further hone and refine her sealing arts, something that Harribel, reluctantly, understood she needed to learn, mostly so that she and the others wouldn't be put into a position of being sealed away in a scroll again, and given that Naruto had yet to have the time to read the book on seals that the old man had given him, it was all for the better.

Still, it was something of a fight with her, as she was more than a bit skittish around the arrays, often just disappearing into his mindscape to avoid talking about it. However, that proved largely fruitless as she still heard everything that he did and would be forced to endure.

After the theory portion it was more physical training and personal skill refinement, Naruto and Tenten sparing with kenjutsu, Lee and Neji with their taijutsu before all four moved on to ranged weapon training.

Lunch.

Then they would try their hand at the mission booth. As they were still in training for an upcoming C-ranked mission, and technically were ON it at all times, they were limited to doing D-ranks, something that bored Naruto to no end, though a part of Harribel was actually a bit glad for it, it may have reminded her a bit of her time as a slave, but it was better than the idea of constantly training herself or others to take life.

She may like a good brawl as much as the next girl, but killing was something she never really liked.

As her people had come to believe, before she became a hollow, fighting and battle were celebrations of Kami, while killing was an affront to her. Physical training and perfecting yourself, your ideals, and people, then showcasing them in contests of skill? Beautiful.

Gai and Lee learned much that day about the nature of a fight.

After the missions, typically two or three, they would break for dinner and go off to do their own things. Gai would often continue training with Lee except for when he would meet up with other jonin for a night at the bar or going out to eat with friends. Tenten would head back to the weapons shop that she worked at for a late shift, as ninja weapon stores were usually open all hours of the day, as those coming back from some missions couldn't risk waiting to replenish their weapon stores. Neji would return to his clan and Naruto would often continue honing his chakra control or attempting some of the more…unique skills that Harribel possessed.

After three weeks of training himself harder than he had ever done before his skill set, he was happy to say, had grown rather nicely. He now had a solid grasp of the basics of the Shadow Skills, Harribel's sword style, two additional water jutsu, Harribel's Ola Roja, his manipulation exercises and lastly, and most interesting for him by far, the fledgling starts on Harribel's high speed movement technique, something called Sonido.

Now that had been a hell of a thing to see the first time she had showed it to him. One moment she had been there, then she just seemed to blur, followed by the sound not unlike a fan beating the air quickly, then she was behind him with her sword at the ready. The problem lay in the fact that she had said it was more of an instinctual technique, rather than one he could actually learn. Though he was starting to make progress, it was slow.

He was rather proud of his progress thus far.

However, when he showed up today for training he was bit irked to find more than just his team.

Instead he spotted the reminder of his class in addition to their sensei as well as a purple haired kunoichi that he had spotted around town, he couldn't forget that odd combination of a long coat and short skirt if he wanted to.

He was a red blooded teenage boy after all.

Even Harribel seemed to be understanding. He was just looking after all, and if he had to choose between the two he knew who he would pick every time.

That stray thought made the former Espada arch an eyebrow…

* * *

"Hey Nai-chan, that the guy?"

A crimson eyed jonin looked up from her book, spotting the last few members of the training session trickling in, a blond haired boy moving steadily up the hill, slightly behind him was a taller woman in a matching outfit, her curves giving the Snake Mistress pause. She wasn't vain, far from it in fact, though even she felt a bit…outgunned….

"Looks like him, Hinata-chan mentioned that he had stopped wearing that orange you liked so much."

She fought back the urge to laugh at her friend's scowl, "Please, that monstrosity was WAY to over the top, and totally the wrong shade. Though I will say that he is filling out nicely…GOOD JOB GAI!"

Said jonin glanced up from his talk with Asuma and sent her a face splitting smile married with a thumbs up. She liked Gai, the guy may have been insane, but when was that a bad thing? So long as you were legally nuts then there was nothing wrong right?

As the oddly dressed duo entered the clearing the boy made a minor note that a few sets of eyes were locked on him. Two he truly didn't care about, those belonging to a silver haired jonin as well as a raven haired avenger. The others though gave him pause…Ino and Hinata?

'_Tia…why are they eyeing me like that?'_

'_I would assume it would be due to your physical changes Naruto-san. Men are not the only gender to ogle….'_

'_I-I see…suggestions? The fact they are drooling is getting a bit…unnerving…'_

'_Just put them out of your mind.'_

'_D-Doesn't she have the Byakugan?'_

'_So it would seem…'_

'_This is going to be a long day…'_

"Your late!"

Naruto sent his former crush a hard scowl, the act making her instantly back down even as Ino seemed to be eying her as well, "Perhaps if I was told this would be a joint session I would have attempted to be a bit early. Though I am shocked to see my sensei's eternal rival here….I was told the man would be late for his own funeral, should he be able…"

That made a few chuckle even as Kakashi scratched the back of his head, "I'm not that bad…am I?"

Nodding heads filled the clearing.

"Well then, now that the last member has arrived we can get started. Now then, as per Kakashi-san's suggestion my father has decided to implement a series of team training sessions as part of our schedules. It was pointed out that there would be great benefit in letting the other sensei have a crack at some of the rookies in hopes of balancing out some of the deficiencies. Questions?"

"Ya…why the hell am I here?"

Naruto arched an eyebrow at the woman, she reminded him of himself in a way, her apparent friend gave an almost evil smirk, "Come now Anko-chan, I thought you were looking forward to the chance to put some of the little guys through hell."

Her annoyed look instantly vanished as she hugged the raven haired woman, "Oh Nai-chan! You know me so well!" A kunai seemed to just phase into existence in hand before she ran her tongue along the razor edge, "So who's my first victim…"

Asuma cleared his throat before stroking his beard. "I was thinking we could break up the genin into groups based on what both they, and us, think they need to work on. Thoughts?"

"YOSH! This will be an excellent exercise for our youthful students! I shall be in charge of taijutsu."

"Genjutsu and team tactics." Anko's grin became almost sinister.

"Kenjutsu and basics of nature manipulation."

"Ninjutsu and chakra control. Sasuke, Naruto, Sai. Your with me."

Both oddly dressed blonds arched eyebrows at that, "Actually, I believe my time would be better spent with the two ladies. My genjutsu skills are almost nonexistent."

"All the more reason to work on your control so that you can break free easier."

Gai clapped his friend on the shoulder. "Actually, my youthful rival, Naruto-kun's control as improved dramatically over this last few weeks, he is almost on part with the beautiful flower of my team. Only Neji-kun, with his clan chakra control techniques can best her. Right now it would be better for him to work on being able to recognize when he has been caught in one, and the eventual work to break free, as opposed to working on chakra manipulation and ninjutsu."

Kakashi's eyes narrowed slightly as he saw the blond nod to Gai before moving over to the two women, noting that he wasn't the only one, Sakura, Ino and Shiamaru had joined them as well.

"Alright maggots, listen up! The name's Anko, and for the next few hours, your MINE!"

"Anko…behave…"

"B-But you said-"

"In a moment. When they have some of the basics down then you can torture them."

The oddly dressed woman let out a huff before moving over to pout by a tree. Kurenai merely shook her head with a chuckle before turning back to the students, letting her gaze linger on the taller woman for a moment, "And you are…"

"You may call me Harribel. I am Naruto's taijutsu and kenjutsu instructor. I hope that you don't think I will be disturbing you, but I have a vested interest in what he will be learning."

Blood red eyes wondered over tanned flesh, quickly taking in muscle tone, apparent scars, anything that may hint at this woman's skill level. "I see, I don't object, but if I may, what is your rank in the village?"

"I do not possess one as I am not a ninja."

That drew the attention of several of the people in the clearing, they could feel the power coming off of her in waves. "How is that possible? You have the chakra of a-"

"I am not permitted to say. Now continue your lesson."

Kakashi had to fight back a smirk, "Well then, I'm afraid that we cannot permit you to observe the training, village secrets, I'm sure you understand."

Naruto ignored the silver haired man, "Kurenai-sensei, Anko-sensei, Harribel-sama has the full support of the Hokage and Gai-sensei. If you take objection then we will take our leave, but whether you tell her now or I tell her later, she will know."

Anko's pout turned into a grin, "What did you call me?"

He arched an eyebrow at her, "Anko-sensei?"

Her smile grew. "Anko-sensei…I like it…From now on, that's all your allowed to call me, got it?" He nodded, "That goes for all you paint sniffers to! I…am Anko Mitarashi! TEACHER!"

Most of the jonin could only laugh as the students looked at her like she had sprouted an extra arm. Kurenai was no exception, "You've created a monster…you know that?"

"…Interesting…"

* * *

"Now then, my little nubile minds, listen up! First on the agenda, genjutsu! Nai-chan, you're up."

Said woman gave a slight bow, "Now then, who can explain to me the basics of genjutsu…Naruto?"

Said boy let his hand fall, "The art of genjutsu is the way of illusion and deception made manifest. With the art you can fool enemies into believing that they are facing a army, that their limbs have been severed or that long dead loved ones are right before them. Rumors say that some illusions are powerful enough to even kill, be it through fright or through a seemingly direct action, the stories were vague. The art takes a incredible level of control of one's chakra as well as well as a level of imagination and knowledge of the target. This is why many of the illusions that are found in books do not target a specific person, instead choosing to effect nature or the senses. Typically these arts are dispelled, first, by realizing that you are trapped, second you would need to either cause pain, use a counter jutsu, or, most often, disrupting your chakra either internally or externally."

The gathered genin and two jonin could only stare at him with a slack jaw, this was the supposed dead last? "V-Very good Naruto, now, can anyone tell me how they affect a person, what calls them to fall under its sway?"

Ino raised her hand, not about to be outdone by the resident eye-candy, after getting a nod she took a deep breath, "The most typical way is to be targeted directly and have the enemy's technique adapt to your chakra. That's why chakra spikes can disrupt the techniques, beyond that, as Naruto said, it effects the mind, so pain can distract you from it. Another way is to lay broad area traps, often making someone think they are running in circles. In this instance using kunai to mark your progress or large scale jutsu, like Sasuke-kun's fire jutsu can typically reveal that the terrain is false."

Again she gave a nod before Harribel's voice filled the clearing, "Forgive me for asking, but why would such an art be of use? Wouldn't it be more efficient to use that power to simply defeat the enemy?"

Kurenai's eye-twitch was not lost on the group, "In some cases, yes, though the art of illusion should never be overlooked. Tricking an opponent into thinking your strikes are a half an inch off can mean the difference between killing an opponent or having your strike blocked. Causing disruption in the ranks by making the enemy think that the canyon wall has collapsed, blocking a path that is still perfectly useable can be invaluable. Now if I may continue?"

"Indeed. Thank you for the clarification, this skill does seem to be quite valuable."

That gave Kurenai pause, maybe this woman wasn't so bad afterall, she did say she wasn't a ninja, so how would she have known the benefits of the art? "No need for that. Now tell me, how far are each of you in your chakra control exercises?"

"Leaf balancing, perfected."

The group looked at Sakura with more than a little shock, though Ino was smirking a bit, "Leaf balancing, perfected, tree walking, moderate."

"Troublesome…same…"

"Leaf, perfected, tree, perfected, water, perfected. Now I'm combining the arts to increase the difficulty."

The group could only gape at him, Anko almost leaping over Kurenai to get closer, not even her sensei had her get that far yet…. "And Kakashi says you need to work on control! OI! Hatake! Can I have what your smoking!"

The jonin missed a hand sign because of the outcry, making the flame dragon he had been producing flop uselessly onto the ground, if anything that only made Anko laugh harder, "Your worm's looking a bit limp there scarecrow!"

Kakashi only growled as Kurenai gave a suspicious cough, Asuma wasn't so polite…

"Joking aside, why would you go to such lengths?"

He eyed Harribel for a moment, their eyes shining a bit, as though they were sharing some kind of a secret conversation. "My chakra level is almost inhumanly high and tends to fluctuate at the best of times, because of that I must work constantly on control if I wish to be of use to my team and to master the techniques that Harribel-sama is teaching me."

"Naruto…" The tentative voice of Sakura, "Why are you calling her sama? I mean, you don't even call the Hokage that…"

"She has earned my respect more than anyone else. She also helps me expecting only that I fulfill my end of a bargain struck before the training even started. That is why I respect her. She is my friend, my teacher, and my mistress."

Anko perked up at the word, "Ohhh…..Mistress eh? Does she share?"

"Anko!"

"What?"

Both Harribel and Naruto could only hang their heads.

'_Sorry Tia-chan…it seems I used the wrong words…'_

'_No, they were correct, it is just that they can be taken a few ways…'_

'_Still, sorry.'_

She gave him a slight nod before turning back to their teachers for the day, he was right, it was going to be a long day…

* * *

"Alright group, break for lunch and we will see you all back here in an hour. Naruto, a word…"

Both blonds moved up to the jonin, paying close attention to his good eye. "Yes, Kakashi-san?"

He looked to the taller of the pair with a slight scowl, "Alone."

"As I said, either you tell us now, or I tell her later."

At Kakashi's silence the pair turned to leave only for Naruto to feel a hand on his shoulder. "I didn't dismiss you, genin."

"Then speak."

He let out a frustrated sigh before nodding, "Fine…Naruto, why are you resisting my teaching so much? You deny my team, you insult them and myself, why?"

Both blonds' could only stare at him in shock, "Why…WHY! You know damn well why Spiky. I may have acted like I didn't know it was you, but make no mistake I haven't forgotten. I doubt anyone ever could. I don't know what you're playing at, but I don't want anything to do with you. Now if you excuse me, I'm going to lunch with someone special. If you wish to reprimand me then go right ahead and we can go to the Hokage about my lack of respect."

Without another word the blond turned on his heel and walked out of the clearing, making a bee-line for the village once more. Kakashi could only watch his retreating form with wide eyes. Spiky, that had been the name that Naruto had given him in his ANBU days due to his unique hair. Not for the first time he cursed his mop, wondering if he shouldn't finally break down and shave it like Obito had suggested when they were first put on the same team, maybe then people wouldn't know it was him right off the bat.

Meanwhile Naruto and Harribel had been on something of a leisurely stroll, having sent a pair of water clones ahead under a henge to get the pair food.

It had been an interesting revelation for the taller blond, apparently she actually could taste things despite being a clone, something they had found out in a sparring session when she had bitten the blond on the calf to release a choke hold.

The hot splash of wetness.

The slightly metallic taste.

The odd sweetness that was uniquely thick...

It had been a revelation for the woman, one that was making their time together far more enjoyable.

The idea for the henge had actually come from Ayame, Naruto's friend from the ramen stand, she had mentioned one day that she had thought that Harribel had actually been Naruto that day and was terrified that he had thought lowly of them for not going to check on him.

It had taken a bit to calm the brunette down, but when they had finished the both shared a look along with a silent smile and moved off to try it.

Harribel had insisted on being the test subject, making a bee line to the BBQ stand that they had seen Team Ten frequenting and had returned a short time later with a large order of spare ribs, something that the duo tore into with abandon.

Naruto knew that her moans of bliss were going to be something that would haunt his dreams for many nights to come.

Right now he was noticing a slight spring to her step, this time they had sent their clones to fetch sushi, something she had never had before, and if there was one thing he was learning about Tia, it was that she enjoyed new things.

Then again, if he had been sealed into a scroll for over a hundred years, only to end up in the stomach of a kid that only ate ramen, he would be frothing at the bit for new things as well. Several moments later they were seated in one of the many parks that adorned Konoha on a bench, both with their arms crossed and waiting for their meal.

"Tia, who do you think we should head to next for training? As much as I may dislike this form of training, we have learned a lot, though I don't believe that genjutsu is going to be proper for our styles, it was still useful to find out some of those snippets, like the illusion on a blade, or those wide ranged traps…"

After taking a moment to think on it she turned to the teen, "As much as I am loath to say it, Hatake-san would be your best bet. Gai is not well versed in water techniques, and I am only good at the raw manipulation. Those two techniques of yours are low in rank that you had to find in the library. If you are able to glean a few water techniques from him then all the better. Beyond that, the other manipulation styles that Asuma has could be useful. I'm sure that simply saturating the air with chakra is far less efficient than what he may know."

He gave a slight nod as the pair of clones came into view, each had their arms laden with a wide assortment of boxes making the pair give unseen smiles, and a bit of drool from the taller of the pair.

Oh yes, the bleed over was indeed both ways.

He had noticed earlier on that she seemed to have a taste for things a bit on the…rare side, so when she had heard of the marvels of sushi she couldn't wait to give it a try. The pair dropped the packages off to the seated duo, Naruto taking the time to put his to the side and check the contents before deciding on a rather nice bit of tuna, a part of him absently sending out the pulse of chakra needed to make the two clones before him dispel.

First their henge's, simple disguises that made them look like a pair of unassuming chunin that had caught his eye after the monument prank melted away to show the same blonds before they collapsed into the parched earth. The odd duo kept moving steadily through the dishes, Harribel taking note of the different flavors and textures before deciding that she rather liked the eel the best while Naruto stuck with the ever classic tuna.

Not a bad lunch, with a silent nod the pair knew they would be doing it again soon.

* * *

"Soooo…how was your date?"

Naruto now found out that he could still sputter even with the mask…

"T-Tenten-san, it wasn't like that, I was just eating with my sensei."

The bun haired girl only grinned as she got closer, "Oh? Then how do you explain Neji saying he spotted you two in the park, with sushi, _feeding each other_?"

"Drinking in the morning?"

'_Did we do that?'_

Silence was his answer for a time, _'….I fear so….'_

'_Why don't we remember doing it…'_

'_perhaps…we are just..comfortable…with each other?'_

'_I think you just liked the sushi to much…'_

'…_.'_

"Hello? You in there?"

"Y-yes, my apologies, I was just…thinking…"

"About who I wonder…."

He scowled at the girl, letting her know the game had gone on long enough, "She'd never had it before, we had different kinds, I gave her some. That's all."

'_On a related note, you're getting better with that illusion, I couldn't even tell you had it on, and I'm in your head.'_

'_But…'_

'_You need to watch what you show in public, that Uchiha, from what you told me, will be able to see through illusions in time, that will not bode well for us…'_

He gave a curt nod as the group started to disperse, each splitting off once more to the various sensei, Naruto and Harribel started heading off towards different places for a moment before they locked eyes, another moment of silent communication passed between them before Naruto headed off to follow her.

Directly to Asuma.

* * *

Kakashi wasn't the only one to scowl at the sight of the larger blond pulling away the boy who had been making his way towards him, before him Sasuke was also eyeing the odd duo, he could feel the power coming off the woman in waves, he hadn't felt anything like it since…_that night_.

"Kakashi, who is she? What is she to the dobe?"

"Apparently, Sasuke, she is Naruto's trainer, and the one that dresses him…"

The joke made a few in the clearing chuckle, though both Naruto and Harribel didn't so much as look away from Asuma as he described the different manipulation exercises for the different elements. The thought of using you chakra to turn the very _air_ into a weapon was something they couldn't just ignore.

"But _why_ would she want to train him? What could he be offering to her that could be greater than me?"

Kakashi let out an annoyed sigh, the boy still wouldn't get off his clan induced high horse. "I have no idea Sasuke, why don't you ask her?"

The boy scowled at the silver haired man for a long moment before seeming to nod to himself, "Very well. Get on with your lesson, then we will see how loyal she really is…"

Power, power, power, that's all it was with the boy he never wanted to work on theory, he never even considered refining his control, or pushing his body physically, it was just one flashy technique after another.

He had tried to tell the teen that even the fanciest jutsu wouldn't help him against his brother, that he would only copy it and use it against him, but he wouldn't hear any of it.

Maybe he needed a teardown like he had gotten from the Naruto earlier that month…

Idly Kakashi watched the blond duo even as he ran through a lecture of jutsu and their counters to his small group, Sasuke, Kiba andChouji, taking note of how Naruto and this Harribel woman were both easily manipulating water to the point that they were not truly paying attention to what was happening in their left hands, instead they were also holding a leaf in their right ad seemed to be trying to cut it with wind chakra while in the left they had spheres of water poised on each fingertip that seemed to dance up and down the digits as they kept looking at the leaves.

Just how high was their water affinity?

He was about to use the excuse of bloodline explanations to reveal his sharingan as a way of getting a good look at the duo's chakra when Gai blew a whistle, letting them all know another two hours had passed and it was time to shift again.

* * *

"Well, we couldn't even get a single spark to form in the tinder-box, but I suppose that is to be expected."

An unnoticeable nod was his answer, "Indeed, though I do feel we can make progress with the wind manipulation, though it will take time…perhaps that will be the key to adapting my-"

"DOBE!"

Naruto could only let out a huff of annoyance, "Yes, Uchiha-san?"

"Leave, I need to speak with your sensei."

Both looked to Gai.

"Not that fool, her!"

While few of the students reacted, two blonds, one brunette, two dark haired teen and the gathered sensei scowled at the last holder of the sharingan, "Uchiha…I would thank you not to speak ill of my sensei…it could end poorly for you…."

The raven haired teen could only scoff, "I don't care about you, I just need her."

Naruto's eyes narrowed to a dangerous level even while Harribel's widened, this boy reminded her to much of that fool of a spoon head…"And what are your intentions for my sensei?"

"She needs to begin my training at once! We can all feel her power, yet she is only following you around like some pathetic _servant_ an-"

His words were instantly silenced as the heel of a foot found it's mark in his floating rib, the force of it bowing the Uchiha almost in half as the rest of him desperately tried to catch up with the impact before he went sailing across the clearing. Before any of the genin could even blink Naruto was giving chase his feet almost never touching the ground as he became a streak of white and yellow before an axe kick sent the Uchiha back towards Kakashi, however, before he could press the advantage further he felt himself hoisted off the ground by Harribel.

"_Enough_. He's done, and you can't go on right now…"

"But he-"

"You have a deep abdominal tear, a severe one from mounting your kick improperly, you're done."

"But I fee-" His voice caught in his throat as a horrific searing pain raced from deep in his pelvis, dancing through his innards, up his spine to just below his heart. Instantly he curled up even while still held up in the air and let out a strangled moan.

"Focus on breathing, I will take you home."

"You're not taking him anywhere, he attack a fellow ninja of the leaf. He needs to be arrested!"

Harribel looking to the source of the voice and was mildly surprised to see not just Kakashi, but Asuma and Kurenai standing before her. "Interesting…." The gathered teachers arched an eyebrow, "You would incarcerate Naruto-san for coming to the defense of his sensei, yet the one that started this slander you ignore…I thought Konoha prized teamwork and bonding over all else…"

Kakashi's visible eye narrowed as a hand came up and took hold of his headband, "You suggest we aren't?"

"Apparently not, or you would be tending to your student Hatake, rather than worrying about how I shall reprimand mine."

They looked over in shock to see Gai cradling the unconscious Uchiha as Anko gave him a quick once-over. "Three broken ribs and a concussion. It could have been a lot worse if the kid didn't rip up his guts on that first strike, I'd say he lost almost half his power on that second blow…Say…wasn't he supposed to be the dead last Nai-chan?" The red eyed woman nodded, "Well then, I think Gai should be put in charge of more teams, if he can do that with Naruto in under a month."

"Actually, my youthful friend, it was Harribel-san's teachings that have allowed such progress. I have been helping in many areas, don't get me wrong, but the physical torment she has put Naruto through almost makes even my adorable Lee cringe…"

"Gai-san, by your leave I will return Naruto-san home then report to the Hokage what has happened, from there we will decide his punishment."

"As you wish."

"Bu-"

"I will take full responsibility Kakashi-san, do not worry yourself with my student, tend to yours. Team Nine, were done for today."

The remaining genin and the bowl-cut sensei began heading towards he village even as the rest of the eyes focused on the retreating form of the tanned blond. Sakura and Ino were stunned into silence at what they had just seen. Sasuke Uchiha, the rookie of the year, had not only been beaten, but decimated by the 'dead last' Naruto Uzumaki. Green eyes met blue as the girls tried to understand that what they had seen was real or not, before as one they passed out.

Kakashi juggled Sasuke a few times until the boy was in a comfortable grip, quickly telling Sai to tend to Sakura before he reached up and pulled up his headband, the odd eye spinning slightly as he focused on the woman and very nearly dropped the boy in his arms.

"What's got your panties in a knot now Hatake?"

The remaining jonin looked to the silver haired man in surprise, they hadn't seen that look of shock in many a year. "T-That…that monster…"

"Monster?"

"Her…She…"

"SPIT IT OUT!"

"S-She….she's a water clone…"

Now the three jonin could only gape. Harribel, the one that had enough power to make each of them break out in a cold sweat, was a _water clone_.

Anko seemed to shake it off first, "B-But…they, they are only…"

"One tenth as strong as the creator…."

The jonin could only watch in mild horror as the woman's form vanished into the distance.

* * *

"T-Tia-chan…"

Normally cool, green eyes filled his vision, the orbs now holding a level of concern and warmth that normally would have made him blush. "Yes, Naruto-kun?"

"I-I'm sorry…"

She cocked her head slightly as she placed a cool cloth over his forehead, "Why? You came to the defense of my honor, and for that you have my thanks."

He scowled at the memory, "No…I'm sorry that my skills are so awful that you had to carry me out of there."

To his surprise the woman simply chuckled, "Your skills are not lacking, Naruto-kun, you have made astounding progress for only a single month of training, your body simply isn't ready to go all out with the style yet, certain muscles have to be conditioned to move and react in the proper fashion, almost everyone that has learned this style has suffered from a similar injury, though not to your extent." He tried to turn his face from hers, only to be stopped by her hand on his shoulder, "I am not angry, or disappointed, far from it. I have never seen a male progress this far in the style in my life or death. Believe in yourself, or if you won't…believe in me."

Turning to face her they were silent for a moment before his eyes curled a bit, showing a smile.

* * *

"Sarutobi! I don't understand, how can you allow a clone of that…woman….to run around the town unsupervised! Beyond that, you have her teaching that…_thing_ how to fight!"

The elderly leader idly puffed on his pipe a few more times before turning hard eyes to his 'teammates', "What I do or don't do with my ninja is none of your concern Homura, and I will remind you, while I am in office it is _Hokage-sama_ am I clear."

It was not a question.

"When it comes to the safety of the village we are all concerned _Hokage-sama_. This…woman, came from nowhere, there is talk in the streets of her trying to seduce men with her inappropriate clothing, possessing a frightening level of power despite the fact that she is unaligned to the village, there is not even a _record_ of her admittance into our walls! Where did she come from! Who is she! And why is she interested in_him_?"

Another puff, "Koharu…I am curious as to how you got your hands onto the _classified_gate admittance records…"

"M-My niece works there, she heard me talking about it an-"

He held up a hand to stall her even as the other snapped its fingers, at once a cat masked ANBU appeared by his side, "Yes, Hokage-sama."

"Cat, retrieve one Sanichi Utatane from records and deliver her to Ibiki, it seems she has been allowing classified materials to find their way into the hands of civilians. When she is delivered I want you to assign two squads to the guard of the records department and the homes of the council members."

"At once my Lord."

And just like that, she was gone, only a few leaves falling to the ground were any indication that someone had been there. Koharu's mouth had simply opened and closed several times in shock, she had just inadvertently sold out her own _family_. "H-Hokage-sama, you ca-"

"Your assistance in this matter will be noted in the record Koharu-san, though in the future I would be most appreciative of you bringing potential spies and traitors to my attention a bit faster…"

"Please! Lord Hokage, that's my niece! You ca-"

"Koharu…enough, she gave out classified information. It doesn't matter who received it, it was a breach of security."

"B-But Homura…she's your-"

"I know…believe me, I know, my son will be devastated. But if we ignore such infractions then we could, one day, have another Orochimaru. Drop it."

The elderly woman looked between the two men for several long moments, tears streaming down her cheeks, before she gave a small nod, rose, bowed and left the room.

For once, Sarutobi didn't feel like commenting on if they were dismissed or not, it was a hard thing to do, but he wouldn't allow another breach like had happened with Orochimaru, Anko was still paying for his lax security when it came to forbidden sealing methods.

"Now then…I believe you were concerned about one Tia Harribel, a private tutor to Naruto Uzumaki?"

The man gave a hesitant nod, "Yes, Lord Hokage, one of the jonin sensei came to me with his belief that she could be a threat and we have looked into the matter. She has been seen around the town in a rather…unique form of dress that the boy seems to now be emulating, a style that is hardly proper. In addition she is seeming to focus solely on the Uzumaki boy and we believe that it may be a case of favoritism, something that shouldn't be tolerated among the teams. Lastly, it seems she is using rather…suspect methods to train the boy, somehow able to bring him up to the level of the rookie of the year in less than a month. You must understand, we are concerned."

Sarutobi sat for a moment, puffing on his pipe as he considered his answer. In some ways they had a point, but really, there was nothing he could do about what Harribel opted to teach her…caretaker. "Homura-san, Harribel-san, as you have said, is an outside force, she is a traveling warrior from a distant land and has requested that she not be bothered by…certain members of the village. Her odd choice of dress is her own decision, and I am told aptly reflects her culture. Young Naruto was among the first she had met in the village on the night of the scroll incident and Naruto has offered to help her in the search for some missing friends of hers. In exchange she has offered to teach him some of the unique styles that her people are known for, bringing a good bit of power to the village as a result. Should we interfere I'm sure she will leave, making us loose a valuable source of knowledge for the village. I'm sure you can understand the importance of this…As to Kakashi, and yes, I know it was him, he had an altercation with the woman earlier in the month and since then he has been looking for a way to get her removed."

"Surely he's not that petty…?"

The Hokage grinned around his pipe, "You know as well as I do Homura, some men have very fragile ego's when it comes to the opposite sex. Hatake is no exception. He's had little trouble in the past getting women to notice him, so when one does turn him down he tends to get obsessed…Add to that that Sasuke-kun has a single-mindedness for power that borders on the insane, something that is being looked into, and I expected there to be a bit of fallout from that group session. Now, why don't you tell me what happened to Sasuke and Naruto during their little scuffle?"

"I would hardly call it a scuffle, Hokage-sama, he broke three of the Uchiha's ribs and gave him a concussion."

The elderly leader chuckled a bit, "If memory serves Homura-kun, you and I very nearly killed one another over my late wife…Naruto wasn't without injury, and was defending someone important to him. Were we so different?"

The man gave a small smile before laughing, Ayane had been a stunningly beautiful woman from the Land of Tea, conditioned to the point that her very body was a weapon through careful poison ingestion and training. She had initially been captured in the second war and over time they had grown close, but so had Sarutobi, having gone to exacting lengths to find a 'cure' for the woman so that she might have a 'normal' life. At first she hadn't been interested until the man had shown up half dead at her cell, both himself and Koharu trying to drag the man to the hospital but he had been so focused he pushed on, even with part of his innards hanging out, and collapsed onto the cell doors, the small flower falling at her feet even as she looked on in horror.

Such as it was, he knew he couldn't contend with that kind of devotion, and in the end they had been wed, producing two sons and a daughter before she succumbed to her harsh life's treatments. She had told them that she had known from the day she was born that she was already dead, but that Sarutobi had given her a brief glimpse of what it was like to be truly alive, even for a time.

"I suppose I will have to relent to you on this one, but I, and the council, expects to hear what the punishments will be for _both_ the students in question. While Hatake-san may not have told us we have it on good authority that the Uchiha had disrespected one of the jonin that had been there, even Uzumaki was being proper and respectful we are told."

He laughed a bit at that, "Indeed, Naruto-kun has been getting much better under Harribel-san's careful teachings. Gai-san believes that he will likely be unable to do little more than walk as well as basic control exercises for a few days, but will be back to his full strength in time for the mission to Kumo."

The man gave a nod, "Very good Hokage-sama…by your leave…"

He gave a small nod and offered a smile. "Of course, have a good evening old friend, and tell your son I'm truly sorry…"

A pained smile was his answer.

And a closing door.

* * *

Currently, Naruto was in a less than stellar mood. Even after a long, sleepless night of trying to remain as still as possible the pain in his abdomen had yet to leave him, something he really wasn't to used to, and part of him was starting to think that maybe Harribel had a hand in it, after all, he had healed a broken ankle in under an hour, so surely some torn muscles should be done even faster.

Right?

On the other side of things Harribel was typically rather harsh with her punishments, and he knew he had one coming.

At the moment he was currently trying to make it back to the training grounds that Team Nine had been using this past month, each arm slung over the shoulder of a water clone as Harribel walked silently behind him, sending glares towards the populace of Konoha, those that were currently looking at the teen with barely restrained fury.

They must have heard about the Uchiha…

It may be time to introduce him to some of her more…unique friends…

But for now, they had to hurry.

"Naruto, this may hurt a bit, but I think it will be prudent to hurry this along…" Without giving him a chance to respond he felt himself lifted by the back of his jacket's collar before his clones exploded with a pair of kicks he couldn't even see, then they were off, the woman bounding from rooftop to rooftop, making a snaking line to the training ground.

"Ah! My youthful student has arrived…you know what will be happening today, don't you Naruto?"

He let out something of an annoyed sigh, "Yes, Gai-sensei."

"Good. Now then, bring out the punishment."

Naruto felt an eyebrow rise of its own accord as from behind a tree, the purple haired jonin from before.

"Well well, gaki got a boo-boo…"

He gave a small seated bow. "Anko-sensei."

Her smile became a grin, "Ah, so you remembered…It's good to see some brains are still in that head of yours, even if you can't walk…so tell me, what did you do wrong?"

Naruto knelt there for a time with the group watching him, the woman never losing her grin, but her eyes turning to a calculating gaze, Gai's grin had faded even as Harribel scowled at him. Taking a moment he took a deep breath. "If this was something during practice, or I was dealing with an honorable opponent, I would say it was because of the fact that I landed a blow when he was unprepared."

"And otherwise?"

"I got caught."

If anything the woman's smile grew, turning into a rather snake like grin, "That, gaki, is the right answer. Now then, your punishment from me will have to be put on hold for now, as you still can't move, and I like my fish to flop when I'm sticking them…." With an exaggerated gesture she motioned to Tenten, "However…I seem to have found a little diamond in the ruff here. This little panda here will be delivering your punishment. If I find one scratch on you when she is finished, then we will start again tomorrow. If, by some miracle, you survive until you are up and about again then you will be dodging me, well then you get both of us. If you can do that, then we'll throw your teacher there into the mix."

While Naruto couldn't see it, he could feel Harribel's smile coming through loud and clear. "I-I understand."

"Hey, buck up, look at it this way, you have to be the only kid to bag three girls at once!"

Gai tried to hold back his laughter, he really did, but seeing Naruto's eyes grow to that size, with both Tenten and Harribel blushing bright enough to light up the clearing…

"Gai-sesei! I request the same treatment! Anything to prove my youth!"

Gai wasn't the only one laughing by the end of the day, though Lee was the only one to get beat quite that badly. Blunted kunai and vicious stomps from the regular women of their group made sure of that.

Through careful water manipulation Naruto had managed to avoid any serious injuries, though he didn't come out of it without a scratch…

The week passed much the same way for all involved, Naruto was forced to use water manipulation to try and block Tenten's attacks until he was able to move once more, then he not only had to block, but dodge a sadistic kunoichi as well, one Harribel seemed to get along rather well with, then when he could manage that for at least half an hour Tia would join in, forcing him to attack as well if he wanted to have a chance of surviving the brutal assault.

Lee was a bit jealous, but having intense training and study with Gai and Neji had helped.

Finally, after the sum of the grueling month had come to a end they were given one day off to rest and to supply themselves for the coming trip.

The day of their mission, had finally arrived.


	7. Chapter 7: On the Road

Disclaimer: Nothing's mine! Leave me alone!

AN: I know I'm going to get a bit of flak for this, I said I was going to update Light next, and it is coming, but I had a special request from a pair of my readers who will be going into basic here soon, so I've been trying to get this belted out all month. Though between family dropping in unannounced and being carted all over by said family, it's been slow. No clue why they just showed up like that .

So, here's Shards, though I'm going to try and finish up Light before the end of the month, so no worries there, it's coming soon ^_^

* * *

Shards

Chapter 7: On the Road

* * *

"_YOSH! He is my most youthful eternal rival!_

_There can be no other!_

_If I cannot best him the next time we spar I will climb the Hokage mountain using only my teeth! If I cannot do that I will ju-"_

_-Rock Lee_

_-=Note, it was at this time that the researcher couldn't keep up with the man, he had left to train.=-

* * *

_

Twelve packages of shruiken, six per pack, four additional packs in weapons pouches.

Six kunai packs, four per pack, two additional in the pouches.

Two field kits, gauze, bandages, anti-toxin, salves, blood and soldier pills.

Camping kit with tent, two weeks of rations, three of water, additional clothing, book of introductory sealing.

Three sealing scrolls, supplies divided.

All in all, he felt he was ready for the mission.

'_Tia-chan, do you think were leaving anything out?'_

After a moment of consideration he felt a reassuring presence enter his mind, she knew he was more than a bit nervous about the mission, having never been outside the village before, and the very real possibility of combat. _'As it stands you are more than prepared for the common bandits that this mission would suggest that we encounter. That aside, you always have the ability to summon me, and from there nothing can stand against us.'_

That made him stand a little straighter, for the first time in his life, he really had someone looking out for him, it was something of a strange feeling, oddly warm and reassuring. _'T-Thank you Tia-chan, I guess it's a bit odd to hear me being this…insecure….'_

'_We all are the first time we go into battle. I was no different; it's in a beings nature to fear the possibility of death and to struggle against it. Just remember that no matter what you need to keep fighting. Be the one that can move through hell and come out the other side, be the one that is willing to get dirty if it keeps those important to you clean, and you will go far.'_

His shoulder's squared slightly as he drew a calming breath, reviewing why he was fighting, why he was going on this mission, and what it could lead to, newer opportunities to study, to search, to find a way to free her.

Even if he had to be a delivery boy, at the start, to do it.

'_For now, I suggest you head out to the eastern gate to meet up with your teammates, and bid farewell to Hyuuga-san.'_

A mental nod, the locking of a door, and quick jump out the window and he was gone.

* * *

As he moved down the rather congested road he had to wonder at the oddity of it all, after his rather abrupt shift in looks and personality, and the fact that he was largely hidden by the high collar, there had be a marked increase in the number of odd looks he would receive.

Not that he wouldn't say that the glare were gone, but he did notice that there were less of them, though those that remained seemed to try and make up for it by being all the more fierce.

These new looks, if he had to put a name to them, would be of curiosity, namely from the female populous, and a number of blushes.

A month ago, he would have wondered at it all, and been more than a bit curious as to why they were looking at him like that, but after the joint training session, where he had received such looks from both Ino and Hinata, coupled with his now clearer thoughts, had led him to understand what exactly was going on now.

And he had to admit, it annoyed him greatly.

Again, a month ago, he would have loved the attention, indeed he would have basked in it and encouraged it, but now that he saw them, a part of him understood what it was that Sasuke felt when he had to deal with his fan girls, the rather irksome fact that they didn't like him for being him, but the fact that they liked what they saw.

No wonder Kurenai-sensei was considered the 'Ice Queen'. These people were shallow, simply enjoying the 'show' as it were. Never taking the time to actually approach him and get to know him, then again, it could be the fact that he had such a large sword strapped to his back that was keeping them away.

"Naruto-kun!"

Or maybe not…

Turning slightly he allowed his eyes to curl into a smile, "Ah, Tenten-san, are you ready for the mission?"

With a grin she nodded, quick glances taking in his general appearance and the scrolls at his hips, "I see you discovered the wonders of sealing scrolls."

He gave the bun-haired brunette a slight nod, "Indeed, Hokage-sama gave me an introductory book on sealing, these were some of my first attempts. An impressive art that they should really teach in the academy."

She gave a slight laugh at that, "Yep, though there were a _lot_ of things I wish they taught, like surface walking, it would really help with the control and reserve issues that so many genin have."

Another nod, "Very true, the thought of genin drowning in a mission simply because their sensei hadn't gotten the chance to teach someone water walking yet is troublesome."

She could only shudder at the thought of it, being a weapons master, and weighed down with that much extra steel it was a very real risk for her. Shaking herself from the thought she snapped her fingers and pulled out a small scroll, "Before I forget, I got these for you."

He arched a brow at the girl, he hadn't gotten a gift like this before, just the odd ramen bowl when the holidays rolled around, with a slight tremble to his hands that confused the brunette he took the scroll almost reverently, "T-Thank you, Tenten-chan, what is it?"

The girl had to fight back the urge to blush as he used the affectionate term, "N-Nothing big, some armor-weave bandages. Many of the kunoichi use them as a sub for cloth chest wraps, and considering your…unique style I thought they could help."

She didn't have to point at his exposed mid-drift to get her point across.

His voice was the barest of whispers, "You…you really want me to be okay, don't you…"

"Hm?"

"N-Nothing, Thank you Tenten-chan, this means a lot to me.' _'More than you know.'_

Her faint blush returned with a vengeance as she turned and doubled her pace, "I-It was nothing, I just don't w-want you getting stuck on the mission."

Internally, Harrible was doing her best not to laugh at the flustered girl, teens with crushes were just so _cute_. _'Did I do something wrong Tia-chan?'_

'_Not in the slightest Naruto-kun, many can be embarrassed when giving others gifts, especially if they are of the opposite gender.'_

'_Why?'_

She debated on saying anything for a moment but opted to be merciful to the teen, _'It's possible that she is attracted to you on some level.'_

He froze in mid step, earning several odd looks from the passers by, _'Dwah?'_

'_Is that so surprising?'_

'_You have to ask?'_

Harribel, despite her desire to do otherwise, couldn't offer up an answer, it made sense that he would be shocked at this little revelation. Absently she was aware of the teen ducking into an ally to apply his illusions before he moved to one of the many clothing stores in the area and making a bee line for the dressing rooms, he had a gift to use.

* * *

For one Sakura Haruno the last month had been a trying one to say the least. After the rather harsh wakeup call from her one time best friend Ino she had been forced to look back on herself and ask why she had been acting the way she had.

She really couldn't remember when she had started acting like that toward Naruto, and others, she did remember the blushing blond that had looked so utterly scared at asking her out at first, and her rather harsh rebuttal that lead to the plastic smile he would wear from then on, as, for some reason, he kept asking.

For the life of her she couldn't understand why he would keep at it, but the amount of energy he put into it every time had blinded her to any other possibilities as to the reason why, it was almost like he was doing it just to spite her.

The blows she would rain down on him didn't help the matter at all, she knew she wasn't the only one that would put foot to face, but she was the only one that would do it almost daily. Add to that her heartless comments about his family, or lack thereof, and she really had to ask herself who she was.

And she didn't like the answer.

"Sakura, honey, are you in there?"

"Yes mom."

"Can I come in?"

"Ya…"

As the door cracked the older woman was surprised to see her daughter currently seated in the middle of her bed, a cocoon of blankets wrapped around her and only allowing her pink head to be seen in the sea of white, flower patterned sheets and comforter. Slowly the woman moved in, noticing the rather red, puffy eyes of her daughter, before she sat on the bed next to her. "Sakura-chan, if there is something you want to talk to me about, you know I'll listen."

She began to gnaw at her lip a bit as she stole the odd glance at her mother, a thrill of fear dancing up her spine at the thought of what her mother may think, "I….I said something really bad about one of the boy's in class…Ino got really mad at me for it…I-I guess I'm just thinking back and trying to figure out why I was like that…"

That caught the older Haruno off guard, she knew that Ino and Sakura had been feuding over a boy for some time, but despite all that they couldn't think of anything that would cause this kind of reaction. "Sakura, I'm sure whatever it was that if you apologize then she will forgive you, she is…was, your best friend."

She slowly shook her head as she sank deeper into her blankets, "No…I tried that as soon as I said it, she wouldn't listen…she said I was a bad person."

Sakura winced as her mother's eyes widened at that, "What was it that you said?" The pink haired girl could only mumble an answer, making the older woman pull some of the blankets down even as her hand came to rest on her daughter's head, stroking her hair a bit and asked again.

She wasn't ready for the answer.

"I…I had made fun of a boy that had asked me out…I hadn't seen him in a little and had asking Ino about him, she made it sound like I liked him…I got mad and wasn't thinking when I answered…I'd asked who would ever want him, that I thought that's why he didn't have any parents…"

Her mother's shocked gasp didn't make her feel any better.

"S-Sakura, how could you-_why_ would you-what were you thinking!"

The girl shrank back all the more, "I DON'T KNOW ALRIGHT! I was just mad and blurted out the first thing that came in my head. I know it was wrong, I know how mean it was, but he's just so annoying! Everyone else is mean to him to!"

That caught the woman off guard, "Sakura…who were you talking about?"

A few tears fell from the pinkette's eyes as the guilt weighed down on her, "Naruto." She saw her mother's eyes widen even further as she slowly stood and made her way over to the teen's winder, looking out over the city quietly, "Mom?"

The woman gave a small jump, her snow white hair bouncing slightly as she did so, the bob cut seeming to amplify the dark green eyes all the more as she glanced over her shoulder at her daughter as she gave her a small smile, though it didn't reach her eyes, "Sorry Sakura-chan, I was just thinking…Now, you said that Naruto had asked you out, why did you feel that required such harsh words? I've seen the boy around town, he always seemed like a rather kind child."

If anything her mother's words made her feel all the worse, she was right, the only person in class Naruto had ever been mean to, prior to a month ago, had been his bickering with Sasuke.

One sided bickering.

"He…I turned him down the first time he asked me, a bit harder than I really needed to…but then he just kept at it, looking back I think he was doing it for another reason, his smile n-"

"Never reached his eyes…"

Green eyes met, "H-How do you know about that?"

"Sakura, I'm going to tell you something that you _must_ keep a secret, do you understand?" A nod, "Sakura…Naruto is the reason your father is dead."

* * *

Two weeks on the road.

Two weeks of constant training.

Two weeks of loud, impossible, challenges.

They would just have to last two weeks, they could do that, right?

It had all started out so well, first they had linked up at the gate, Tenten's flushed face at the sight of the black and white blond had been rather amusing, they had bid farewell to Neji, who was then escorted away by an older member of his clan, the duo making for one of the many training grounds in the village. Then, not a hundred feet from the gate of the village, Gai had pulled out a scroll from his hip pouch with a flourish before unrolling it and pulling out a brush and inks.

"Alright, my most youthful students, we have three weeks to get to cloud, more than enough time for a bit of training…First! I will be applying seals to your bodies that will disrupt your chakra flow, forcing you to compensate and, thus increase your control. Then a second seal for weights will be applied to your clothing. Our most youthful Lee, as he cannot use the disruption seals, will instead double his weights! Now then, remove your clothing."

That earned the man a giant mace to the head courtesy of their female member. Naruto, meanwhile, had removed his sandals, gloves and jacket. Though even as his sensei was recovering he reached deep into the earth with his chakra and began to draw on the moisture there, quickly forming the clone of Harribel. Emerald and sapphire eyes watched with a bit of humor as the brunette ground her sensei under her heel, "Tenten-chan, if you would let him up and get to work we could return to the mission…"]

Said girl froze in mid stomp before pulling back with a sheepish smile, absently scratching her cheek, having momentarily forgotten that they were on a mission. "R-Right, sorry Gai-sensei…but you should know not to say that to a lady!" That got a round of nods.

"If it makes you feel better Tenten-chan, you may simply pull up your shirt some, I just need access to your back."

Still, she blushed almost tomato red as she glanced to Lee and Naruto, a bit longer at the latter, before he nodded, "Fine, but you do them first!"

After a bit more of the back and forth Lee, had several seals painted over his back, namely his shoulder blades, before Gai placed his palms over the marks. A blast of sustained chakra later and several long lines of snaking script raced out from the seals, snaking along the boy's body and encircling his arms, more seeming to collect on his wrists and ankles before the rest settled in along the seams. A second pulse of chakra and seal stopped, before the once dark inks faded into nothingness.

And Lee hit the ground, _hard_.

"Gai-sensei! I cannot move!"

Their teacher could only laugh as the boy struggled to roll onto his back, the other three looking more than a bit nervous, despite their own training Lee was still the strongest of the genin. "G-Gai-sensei, what do those seals do?"

The larger beast grinned as his thumb and forefinger settled on his chin, "That, Tenten-chan, is a weight seal I myself developed as a part of my jonin trials, when applied it analyzes your body weight and muscle mass, then simulates a doubling of your body weight. Considering that we have to travel I don't risk using more at the moment. Lee, while he has lifted more, that's when he is able to better focus his strength, this is spread over all of his body, making it much harder, initially, to compensate. Considering that he has two of the seals, they are reacting, creating a much greater weight. While I would normally do the same to you both, with the disruption seals I think you will find this to be equally difficult.

Naruto and Tenten exchanged confused looks before Harribel's hand came to rest on his shoulder, "Remember Naruto-kun, even if it's unconscious, your body is constantly using chakra to enforce itself, if this seal is effective enough, that will be lost, or at least confused, forcing you to work twice as hard to achieve the same results. I've said it before, but you really did pick the right sensei. With that added control you will be able to, with luck, improve in using my own techniques as well."

That caused the duo to nod before Gai approached them, behind him Lee had managed to pull himself to a seated position, though he looked a bit winded. "All right, who wishes to be first?"

"Naruto!"

The blond narrowed his eyes at Tenten a moment before nodding, shucking the jacket before the group for the first time. They had to admit, he made quite the imposing figure. Once rather lengthy, if toned, limbs had filled out, making the boy look more like the seasoned warriors that were of higher rank, mostly thanks to the almost constant training that his teachers had thrust upon him, the rest, that made him more than a little intimidating, was the mask. While they had seen the part that was under the high collar already this was a new experience for them. Firstly the far-reaching bone was bulkier, making him look all the larger and telling them that no part of that jacket was shoulder pad. Next was the fact that the bone extended down his chest with sharply angled plates, looking all for all the world like razor sharp scales, the odd plates extending down his chest to just above his diaphragm and along his flanks, yet not as far in the middle, like it was truly tracing his own bone structure, and becoming an extension of it, the boney plates also sweeping down his shoulders to his mid-upper arm and to the base of his shoulder blades, a longer strip extending down the center of his back, acting as a spine protector.

"What?"

Three heads quickly shook, showing that nothing was wrong, "Naruto-kun, will it be alright applying the seals over the…bone?"

Naruto looked to Harribel who was looking a bit uncomfortable, well, as uncomfortable as one could look with just their eyes, she was still quite wary of seals, though the emotions were loud and clear through their link, "Yes, the mask is a part of him as much as his own arm is."

With a curt nod Gai settled in to start painting once more this time only a single seal, for now, as the weight seal would be applied to the clothing, this time though, as he pulsed his chakra, the snaking script seemed to create almost random, at first glance, spots on the body, small spirals that, when he pulsed his chakra again, condensed to create almost pinpoint sized marks on the body before they faded.

Almost at once Naruto dropped to his knees panting, Harribel's form wavering for a moment as his chakra control dwindled to almost nothing. "Very good Naruto-kun, now, reapply your clothing and I will use the next seal." Quickly redressing and having the last of the seals applied they all turned their eyes to Tenten.

And promptly had one of the most evil glares they had encountered leveled on them.

"TURN AROUND!"

Naruto and Harribel both shared a huff of annoyance, someone needed to drill into this girls head that it wasn't a big deal to be seen nude, especially by people you trust. Still, Naruto turned around as Harribel observed, her curiosity outweighing her apprehension about the whole process.

Her eyes widened before narrowing dangerously, she stole a quick glance at Naruto and Lee, confirming that they weren't looking, before eyeing Gai, the man's own eyes were narrowed in barely concealed anger, yet he was able to keep his anger reigned in as he continued to work, making sure that his hand maintained his steady, oddly graceful style.

Making sure that Tenten wasn't aware of his thoughts.

There, running from her left shoulder all the way to her right hip was an ugly, poorly healed scar.

It was still an angry red, almost a palm wide and showed taunt scar tissue, letting her know that despite its raw look that it was rather old. She could clearly see the beginnings and ends of a cut, however everything else looked more like it was made of tearing, indeed, such a wound looked as though it should keep the girl from being in the active service.

If it was that wide, that torn, it _had_ to have damaged muscles and nerves alike, it was a miracle that she was able to become a ninja at all. Harribel had to bite her lip to keep from asking about it then and there, knowing that such things could be touchy for many women.

"Alright, all done, shall we press on my most youthful students?"

A round of nods was his answer.

* * *

Kiba had been having a less than stellar week. First his attempts to find out the identity of the blond woman Naruto based the clone off of had turned up nothing. He knew for a fact that there was no trace of scent of her, he had been following Naruto enough to pick up on the regular scents, and there had been nothing in the slightest about him that went beyond those on his team, those of the restaurants he went to, and the rather constant smell of water about him. He had asked his sansei about her but to no avail, instead she had just said that the woman with Naruto was indeed a clone, yet when he had mentioned that he knew that Naruto had made it she had only scoffed, saying that the clone had far too much chakra to be made by a genin, no matter how good he was.

So he expanded his search, going further and trying to make sure she wasn't camping in the surrounding lands, he knew he was starting to get a bit obsessed, but now it was a point of pride, if he couldn't find one woman that had to be in close proximity to the village, how could he call himself an Inuzuka?

His sister would make him a laughing stock, and he could only shudder in thought of what his mother would do to him.

He had just hit some of the outermost training fields and quirked an eyebrow at the scene before him. There, at the top of a hill sitting alone, was Sakura, her knees pulled up to her chest with her chin propped up on them as she stared out over the village lifelessly. Slowly he moved in, his puppy picking up on the girl's less than stellar mood and making a series of small whimpers, their link letting him know that the puppy picked up the scent of salt water in the air.

She had been crying.

"S-Sakura-san? What are you doing up here alone?"

The pinkette gave a small jump as he broke her from her revere, bloodshot green eyes turning to the boy, he quickly whipped at her eyes before giving him an impish smile, "H-Hey Kiba, I was just thinking, you?"

You didn't have to be a Nara to figure out that something was wrong, still, he knew enough that if she didn't want to talk about it not to press, living with two rather…passionate women had taught him much. He gave an exaggerated huff as he dropped into the grass next to her, "I'm trying to find that teacher of Naruto's, no matter where I look though I can't find her scent, it's driving me nuts!"

She gave a small laugh at that, many of the girls had seen his forms of training with his little puppy, how they would hide things all over the school and make each other find them, and never once were they able to fool the other, so if he couldn't find her then she couldn't have a scent, and told him as much. "You don't get it Sakura, she _has_ to have a scent, there's no way around it. But all I can ever pick up is Naruto!" While he had thought his eyes were playing tricks on him the first time, this time he saw it clear as day, the girl had flinched slightly at the name. "Sakura…did Naruto do something to you?"

Quickly the girl waved him off, a bit too quickly, "N-Nonsense, why would you think that?"

"Sakura…I know we weren't really friends in school, but were comrades, both ninja of the Leaf, were supposed to help each other. Did he…hurt you?" While he would be the last one to admit it to another, the idea of some of the…_things_ that could happen to kunoichi sickened him, ya he could be persistent with a girl he liked, but the idea of just forcing someone set his blood to boil, having a rather green sister and his mother in the house had ingrained that into him at a young age, and had the boy vowing as soon as he could understand the concepts to never let that happen to _anyone_.

And he had known, just like everyone, just how much Naruto liked the girl, and her constant refusals could have made him tr- "What! No! You know Naruto, he couldn't hurt a fly…unless it looked like Sasuke-kun…" That earned them both a chuckle, and a happy yip from Akamaru, who had wriggled free of the coat and leapt into Sakura's lap, the girl giggling and stroking the dog's fur absently, whatever it was that was bothering her was clearly weighing on her mind. "There is something…but it wasn't someone Naruto did…more like what happened to him…"

He cocked his head slightly, much like the puppy, setting off another giggle, "Wait, what? You're up here brooding like an Uchiha, because something bad happened to him? I thought you hated him?"

Another flinch.

"Y-Ya…I did…but when I think back, I don't really know why…I think I was just trying to fit in, I mean we all made fun of him…"

That gave the dog-user pause, thinking back that was true, he remembered some of the members of his clan telling him to stay away from him, not to be friends, and that almost everyone in the class, if not the school, had done the same. But being forced to really think about it now, other than the day with the blond woman Naruto had been nothing but nice, unless it was a good spirited prank, like when they cut and run on Iruka when several of them were being forced to stand in the hall for not paying attention. "N-Now that you mention it…why were we like that…"

The girl pulled the dog closer, earning her a lick from the puppy as it nuzzled, trying to bring Sakura a bit of comfort, "I don't know…I was like that because my dad told me to at first…I'd met Naruto with Ino when we were little, some of the girls were picking on me and Ino came to help, chased Ami and her friends off and as they were running away though they were hit with a bunch of water balloons. Ino had thrown a bunch of flowers at them, tricked them into thinking they were poisoned, Naruto had yelled that he had to water a plant to make it grow…I know, pretty lame huh? Still, they were the first two that stood up for me. When I told my folks they were happy about Ino, but my dad…he got really mad about Naruto, said I shouldn't go near him, that I should stay away and make Ino do it to…"

Kiba sat quietly, listening to the girl ramble one about her story, he had done the same for his mom one night when she had had a few too many and started drunken ramblings about his father, how he was a bastard for running out on them, turning traitor during the war and trying to sell clan secrets. Honestly he thought it was all just random, half of what she said didn't make any sense at all, but he knew that his mom needed that, and just to let it all out. Though carrying her back to her room that night had been a pain.

"So you're upset that you were mean to Naruto? That's easy to fix though j-"

"No…that's not what's wrong…I learned from my mom today, that Naruto's the reason that my dad's dead…"

Kiba could almost feel his jaw hit the ground; _Naruto_ had been responsible for that? But that didn't make any sense, his mom said tha-

"Kinda…"

"What do you mean, how can it 'kinda' be his fault, that's a big thing to accuse someone of…"

"No…my dad was killed…by the Hokage…"

"H-Hokage-sama!"

"Ya…"

Now he felt like his world was turned on it's ear, he knew the man could be fierce, he was in the history books afterall, one of the few men that could say they lived through two great wars, but to all the villagers he was almost like a grandfather, it didn't make any sense. "Bu-"

"My dad…he tried to kill him!"

He was taken aback by the girl's sudden shout, but more so by her words, "Your dad tried to kill the Hokage!"

Sakura pulled the puppy closer as she shook her head, "No…Not the Hokage…"

Kiba looked at the girl in confusion for a long moment as he pieced together the fragmented story, then his eyes became as large as ramen bowls.

"Naruto…"

* * *

Blades clashed.

Fists and feet struck.

Shouts of pain filled the air.

Naruto threw himself forward, covering quite a length of ground before tucking into a roll and coming up, his legs in a vertical spilt that hit with tooth-shattering force and sent the bandit skyward, behind him he could hear Tenten moving through the group with an almost chilling single-mindedness that showed just how often she had been in these situations with their team. It made sense; their cell had been in rotation for a full year before he came along and ruined their normal routine. To his flanks he could spot the green blurs moving steadily though their own opponents, right behind him was Harribel, lashing out with brutal kicks of her own.

He stiffened as he heard a body drop behind him, turning he saw a kunai lodged firmly in a woman's throat, having punching through the back of her neck and severing the spine. Looking up a bit he saw Tenten give him a cocky wink before leaping into the air and with a pulse of chakra let her body into spinning, raining shruiken over a wide area.

Looking back to Harribel they shared a mental smile and nodded before their hands came back, drawing their blades in a disturbingly similar manner. If she was going to show off then they were more than happy to play her game.

They had been on the road for nine days when they picked up the signs of the bandits in the area, mostly the marks of old camp sites that, to civilians, would never be spotted. But to them it may have been a giant beacon letting everyone know who was in the area. After a bit of a detour they had found the camp and started their planning, normally such a group would be ignored unless they were hired to deal with the, but with this group camped out so close to a major trade rout with Kumo they were forced to act, not to mention that dealing with them would be seen as a sign of good faith between the villages, and those in the surrounding towns that may have fallen prey to the band of rogues.

They had to act; there was no question, so they started their planning. Lee, using his incredible speed, had scouted the area, informing the group that their enemy numbered fifty strong, and had set up many make-shift tents and had wagons with their ill-gotten goods, as Gai had put it. From there they had come up with the probable escape paths, namely the main trail that would lead to the road, a corpse of trees to the north, and the river they had their camp backed against, to make it easier to water the horses.

First came dealing with the trees, that was simple enough, as Tenten set to work with explosive tags, trip wires and snares, the thick brush and close trees, that would normally provide cover, would be their undoing. Gai and Lee would take the road while Naruto and Harribel, taking advantage of their affinity, would move from the river and flush the group to the road, Tenten would catch them and drive them further after the initial traps were sprung, attacking from the trees, then Gai and Lee would strike in a pincer.

Plans were always so good on paper….

Initially Naruto and Harribel had caught the camp utterly by surprise, the group shocked to see two people running across the water as they rained kunai wrapped in tags on the group. The initial volley claiming ten of their number to injury and death. From there the next group scrambled to attack, using whatever implements they had on hand from their apparent lunch to try and take out the blonds. With almost perfect mimicry the duo had set into the men, almost copying the initial attacks move for move and impressing both Gai and Lee, who had been known to do the same in their time.

Tenten was just terrified that there was going to be another set of genjutsus in the futures…

Still, surprise can only last for so long, as the two were steadily moving through them those further from the river were able to dawn armor and take up weapons quickly, that's when the duo drew their own blades, stalking towards the now shaken men and women. Two hands came up, water rose from the river before it began to glow a bright blue and settled into the hollow of their swords. Naruto gave his an experimental swing and, should you be able to see his face beneath the mask, you would have seen a wicked smile.

Trailing from the edge of the blade with every movement, was a lingering blade of water, not unlike how the Ola Azul, or in Naruto's case, the Ola Roja, would fire condensed liquid, still, it was good to see that their experiments had proven fruitful, no longer did he have to sacrifice his blood, but he still couldn't form it from pure energy like Harribel once was able, he had to have a ready source of water, and supersaturate it chakra to let the sword's innate properties emerge, namely the ability to channel energy, though the use of pure chakra was still eluding him.

Not sparing another moment the duo set into the group, cleaving spears and swords alike, dashing past the first few attackers and letting the lingering water blades claim those that tried to strike them as they ran by. Seeing these odd weapons the group started to crack, their boss attempting to rally them to him, though that was cut short thanks to a well placed kunai from the tree line.

None of the panicked group saw where it came from, they just knew they needed to get away from the blonds and those freakish swords.

Acting almost exactly to plan the group split, some snatching up horses and making for the roads, only to be claimed by low hanging, glittering, razor wires. Naruto and Harribel gave chase to those heading for the trees, the act making even more break from the roads or to try their luck with the swift current of the river.

A scant handful though held the center of the encampment, five with bows and another seven with spears holding a proper formation, taking shots at the blonds as best they could and forcing the duo to go to extreme lengths to dodge, substituting with the bandits when they could or simply raising small water shields.

A wave of a hand, and a small, palm lengths form of water would be there thanks to the humidity in the air the river afforded, lasting just long enough for the dense liquid to slow or deflect the arrows.

That's when the first wave of five hit the trees, and set off the traps.

The shockwave alone had thrown everyone to the ground, Naruto and Harribel included, both had their ears ringing to the point that that was all they could even hope to hear. Slowly they pulled themselves to all fours only to wince at the sight of the tree line.

It was nothing but a blood soaked nightmare.

The five men had been reduced to a fine mist by the force of the tags going off, the odd bit hanging from snares or glittering wires. At the top of the tallest tree was Tenten, standing with a sadistic grin, her arms crossed under her breasts as she watched the prone members start to rise.

Then the steel rain fell.

Seeing their numbers cut to only a third of their former strength many simply dropped to their knees and surrendered, the others making for the road and the meandering horses, that's where they currently found themselves, Gai and Lee finally being allowed into the fray a cutting down the last of the fleeing bandits before the moved into the surrendered group.

Almost at once they had begun babbling, trying to do all they could to spare their lives from the 'monsters' that had killed their friends. After a rather confusing moment of trying to sort their jumbled sentences they gathered that they had been harrying those that were leaving Kumo to try and make new lives for themselves in the surrounding villages, intent on trying to get any scrolls and weapons from the militarized people to later sell to rival villages.

That bit of information peaked Gai's interest, if these people did have such a collection then it would make for quite the trophy, or at least a bargaining chip with the Raikage at a later date. However, it was the fact that there were enough people leaving this village that was confusing, if there were enough to attract this large a group of bandits then something had to be going on at the village.

Something the jonin was sure hadn't been told to the Hokage.

"Alright my students, we need to start cataloging the spoils. Tenten-chan, Harribel-san, please set to work in gathering the items. Lee, take the prisoners to the road and stand guard, Naruto, create two water clones to go with him, you and I need to have a talk about what happened here today."

That caused a few eyebrows to rise, still, they set to work, Harribel drawing a large amount of water from the river and using it to clean the clearing out, wiping it of gore and filth even as she used tendrils of it to start making piles, be it of the gathered weapons or just valuables, porously leaving the tents untouched due to the fact there could be scrolls there. Tenten set to work with the storage seals, pulling another large scroll from her own sealing materials and making herself a place to work. Lee took the group by the lead chain and started moving the group to the road, shouting out that they had to overcome their un-youthfulness and turn over a new leaf.

Naruto, on the other hand, was pulled aside by Gai and forced to sit down on a stump before the man knelt down to his level with a surprisingly gentle voice, "Naruto-kun…I know you must be troubled by what happened today…is there anything you would like to talk to me about?"

Much to Gai's surprise the teen just cocked his head at him in confusion, "Talk about what Gai-sensei?"

He placed a comforting hand on Naruto's shoulder, "Naruto, this was your first kill, wasn't it?"

That caught the boy off guard, it had indeed been his first kill, "Yes, it was."

"I want you to know, that all of us are here for you, to talk if you want to."

The blonds' eyes curled into a smile as he nodded, "Thank you Gai-sensei, but really, you know as well as I do what I've been through in the leaf…Taking a life is not so different from having someone try and take yours. You simply do what you have to."

With a small bow Naruto rose and moved back to the clearing to help with the gathering of items, missing Gai's frown at his retreating form.

He knew Naruto's life had been a harsh one, but to take the death of so many in stride…

He knew in his heart though, that Naruto was affected by this more than he was letting on, anyone would be, though he had a feeling that a certain green-eyed woman may have been at the heart of helping the boy.

After all, couples were supposed to be there for each other, right?

* * *

Elsewhere, deep in a dimly lit room, two earthen-gold eyes caught the light, causing them to glow in the torchlight. Vertical pupils seemed focused on the figure on the slab before him, taking in every detail of the woman before him, "The time has come to pay back your favor my dear, can I count on you?"

Steel grey eyes opened to take in the man above her, her lips pressed in a thin line, determined to pay back her debt, and deal with the ghosts of her past, "Yes, Lord Orochimaru…"

A sickening smile came across ghost white features, "Then rise, and start your hunt, my dear Nel-chan…"


	8. Chapter 8: Summons?

Disclaimer: I own NOTHINK!

AN: My, it has been a while hasn't it? First, I'd like to say I'm sorry that it has taken me so long, between life and my own lack of ability as of late (IE: Just staring at the screen like a lump .) I haven't had much in the way of progress. Still, I think it will come a bit faster now that I made myself post, we can only hope ya?

Anyway, for those that dont know I have a poll up on my profile that I would like people to vote on, their on some story ideas that I had rattling around the old noodle, I know you all dont want me to start on anything new right now, but honestly with those ideas filling my head then it gets troublesome working on what I have...it's like a ferret in a room full of shiny th-oooh! What's that!

Jokes aside, let me know what you think ya? Also, I think some of my mates are going to drag me into DC universe online, probably the good side, if anyone plans on playing message me, I'll let you know where I am so you can say 'hi' or gank my ass for not posting sooner ^_^

I'll say now, this one is a bit short, I know, it's a bridge chappy, the next will be filled with a lot of action, so I wanted to get this one out of the way.

Here we go!

EDIT: I forgot to give a few shout outs ^_^ Dark Graven posted a new story, rather fun ^_^ Same with WhiteDragon and LoPe ^_^ Go give them a look! And it looks like the site is mucking things up again...I've fixed mistakes and the like, but their not showing up...not even tracking my story hits the past few days...

* * *

Shards

Chapter 8:Summons?

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_"That accursed child! How DARE he think he can get away with helping TRAITORS! I will not stand for it!"_

_-Third Raikage_

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"You've done well, Naruto."

The blond teen looked up into the emerald eyes of his teacher, "What do you mean?"

"This was your first true battle, your first test. You came through it unscathed and with your team intact. Well done."

The teen quickly looked away, while his blush couldn't be seen, she was able to feel it through the link. "Thank you. It was all due to your training, Harribel-san."

"Gai-san and Lee-san are taking the remaining bandits to the local town…in that time I will be training Tenten and yourself."

Said girl perked up at that, she was going to get training from Naruto's partner? "You will have to start her on the basics…what will you have me learn?"

"…Now that I am no longer bound to my old form…my connection with some old friends has been starting to return to me…I want you to meet them…and if they so desire it…you can become partners with them."

Naruto cocked his head in confusion, his eyes glancing down to the mask shards at his hip, "But I thought th-"

"You are correct…my friends will need their own bodies." He looked ready to object again, "But…these friends don't need bodies."

Tenten moved closer to the pair, "What do you mean? Are they some kinda summon?"

"Summon?"

"Ya, a lot of ninja out there make different contracts, like the sanin, they have toads, slugs and snakes!"

The blond teen looked between the two for a moment before his eyes widened slightly, "That's right…Anko-sensei could conjure snakes…does that mean you hold such a contract Harribel-san?"

Calmly the tallest of the trio moved to a tree, leaning on it causually, "In the way you look at it…no. Your summoning rites seem to center around a contract, followed by blood and energy sacrifices…Mine are my friends. They have no obligation to come to me should they not desire it. Back then…they were comforting, it wouldn't have mattered in battle, as the enemy had them as well. However, here, they will prove most…effective…"

Naruto gave a curt nod, "How do I begin?"

"Meditate. When you are closer to nature, then you can begin to call upon the Jinn."

Footfalls echoed through the forest as a cloaked figure made a mad dash, fleeing as if Yami herself was on its heels. With a sudden jag the figure dove bodily _into_ a tree, reemerging almost a thousand yards away before landing and slipping _through_ the ground and appearing twice that distance back the way it had just come, desperately backtracking, doing all he could to get away.

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'_W-What the FUCK is that…how is it-' __**'NO STOPPING! IT'S COMING!'**_

The cloaked, oddly shaped man broke out in a cold sweat as it dropped into the earth once more, this time leaping out of the earth once more on a large hill, one that was hardly visible from where he once was. He had been running for the better part of the week, yet every time he felt he had lost his tail _it_ would appear again.

Time after time.

No matter how far he ran, no matter how he would mask his trail or suppress his chakra, it was _there_, waiting.

Staring…with cold, grey eyes.

Six more jumps and still, he could feel those _eyes_.

Though this time…as he emerged on the top of a plateau, hoping to catch a glimpse of the hunter, something aside from the shine of those eyes, he heard it.

A deep, guttural growl.

"You're boring me now…"

The large, misshapen man turned fast, his eyes going skyward only to widen in horror, it was _floating_!

"W-What the hell-" **"-are you you BITCH!"**

The figure let out a 'tsk' as she lowered herself, now only standing his own height above him, "Looks aside, you must do poorly with women…"

"SHUT THE HELL UP!" **"WERE GOANNA EAT YOU!"**

"Heh…Zetsu, elite information gatherer of Akatsuki, A…unique creature that can move through matter as easily as water…an expert sensor that can track anyone, and possessing of enough stealth to make an easy escape…usually…" Her deadpanned look didn't change in the slightest, "You know…being a sensor can be something a double bladed sword…you reach out, trying to find me…so all I have to do is direct this presence…and guide you where I wish."

The monochromatic man's eyes widened, he'd been _tricked_. Those same eyes narrowed as the figure, a woman, moved so that the sun didn't blind him, shocked at the figure before him, a surprisingly curvy woman dressed in an odd white outfit with black trim, the top not unlike a mini-skirt kimono, a black sash, white gloves with matching pants and boots. At her left hit was a pale green katana, and while she was standing largely at ease, the power radiating from her, as well as the large half man, half ram skull mask at the top of her head was more than enough to put him on edge. "You bitch! You-" **"-Had us dancing to your-" **"Tune the whole TIME!"

She didn't seem to rise to the barb in the slightest, "Of course, it was so much easier than chasing you, you seem surprised. Now, you have something I need. If you hand it over, then I won't have to take it."

"**We won't give you SHIT lady!"**

She gave a slight frown, "A pity…" With a disturbingly smooth draw her sword came free, "Shall we?"

With a growl coming from his darker half the two snapped into two different hand signs, the light side being just a bit faster. While he may not have been as good as an Uchiha, he _was_ one of the best spied in the world, and he always had his partner with him!

"Tsuchi Bunshin no Jutsu !" Nine copies of the odd man rose from the earth and rapidly started their own hand signs, in time with the original's dark half.

"**Doton: Domu! Bring it on BITCH!"** The once white half of the man now darkened, almost matching the other as the clones followed suit.

"Nelliel Tu Odelschwanck. Now you know who hunts you." Zetzu's eyes could only widen as she suddenly blurred out of existence, and at once two of his clones exploded into a shower of mud.

"Fuck! Doton: Doryūsō!" At once, coming from each at the men's bodies, a barrage of stone spikes filled the air in all directions; after all, if he couldn't see her, he just had to destroy _everything_!

Sometimes it was useful knowing Deidara.

Two of the clones snapped through three quick signs, "Suiton: Takitsubo no Jutsu!"

The green haired woman arched a brow at the two springs that suddenly erupted at the top of the plateau, quickly turning the arid top to mud before cascading down the side. Had it been at any other time it would have been quite pretty. She narrowed her eyes as another storm of stone shattered against her steel hard skin, yet it seemed that the very thing that had saved her had also given away her position.

"**Suiton: Suikōdan no Jutsu!"** At once four massive sharks leapt to life, each dashing towards the sky bound warrior, a dark mass hidden in each one. Blurring once more Nelliel dodged the first two before cutting through the third, only to have her eyes widen in surprise as the blade was stopped by the hardened mass inside, it wasn't that she couldn't cut the clone, she had shattered two with her fists, it was the fact that she simply hadn't expected him to be inside it, the massive flytrap now closing around her as the blade stuck in the clone's head.

The fourth and last missile exploded, largely destroying the clone that held her still, the final clone slamming into her with the combined force of the jutsus behind it, filling the air with water and shards of stone. "HA!" "**Did we get her?"**

As the last of the cloud of debris started to clear her largely intact form could still be seen. The odd rip of her clothing about her shoulders, legs and midriff, all places the flytrap had been holding her, appeared. A single trickle of blood came from her bruised lips. "Is that it? You were touted as the best at evasion and support…I expected more…"

Then she inhaled…

And it set every hair on the man's body on end; the last two clones started doing their own hand signs even as he started a separate chain. "Doton: Doryūheki!" **"Doton: Doryūheki!" **Two very thick walls began to rise, the whole of the outer edge of the plateau seeming to come to his aid, though both halves of him made sure to keep out the springs. Each of the thick walls seemed to be decorated with various plants, all looking far less than inviting.

"**Hōshi no Jutsu!"** The clones had finished, then fell away, a thick moss spreading over the outer walls.

Nell's entire form then lurched forward as her mouth opened in a great scream.

A yellow beam of light, and the plateau now had a gaping trench dug through it, wide as twenty men abreast, cutting through the walls like they were little more than butter.

She arched an eyebrow at the sight before her, the man was split perfectly, vertically, and still seemed be alive. "My…you are a unique one, aren't you?"

"W-What was that!" **"That…was to close!"**

"I will say this one last time, give me what I want…and I'll go away."

"We can't!" **"He'll kill us!"**

Her head tilted almost lazily. "You do know that you will die here and now if you refuse."

"**WRONG!"** she cocked her head. **"Now that we've divided we've only gotten stronger!"** "We're not tethered anymore."

"Yes…but from what I understand you have lost the ability to use your techniques. You can't complete the circuits anymore, even if you could use only one hand, your power must still circulate."

Both sides started to laugh, then she saw the walls _shift_. Slowly the moss began to take shape…

There were almost a hundred of the sickly looking things, all of them looking like the white half of the man in some way or another. Some were missing arms, others legs, some entire lower halves. Still, it was clear, they _were_ connected. And a long trail of the odd moss was heading right to the feet of each one.

"Do you **get it **now! We are** endless!** We **are** legion! **You **can't hope** to-hurk!**"

The white side of Zetsu felt his breath hitch in pain, shaking eyes looking down to see the blade at the center of his chest, "All things that live need a heart…" The black half could only look on in horror as he felt pain shoot through him, the woman was just so _fast_! He never saw her move, and now she was plucking the ring from his finger, even as that half was still coming to terms with what had just happened. "This could have gone so much smoother…fools…"

His vision began to fade, the woman vanished once more, and all he could see were flashes of a sword.

* * *

Somehow…he thought it would be bigger…

Here they were, standing before the large walls of the mountaintop village, after spending the last two days climbing the accursed thing, and now they saw a surprisingly short outer wall with a rather spread out village.

Admittedly, he was rather spoiled by the thought of Konoha's urban sprawl, but still, this was supposed to be one of the major five, he had a feeling that even Suna would be larger…

To Harribel, none of the places she had seen in this world had been terribly impressive. The stories of Soul Society, let alone Hueco Mundo, would put anything here to shame.

"Gai-sensei…this place seems rather…lacking…"

Again, he was met with the beaming grin of the green clad man, "Ah, but you must understand Naruto-kun, while this village may seem small; it actually has more ninja than Konoha itself!"

That caused more than one set of eyes to widen.

"While the village may indeed be smaller than our own beloved Leaf, almost ninety percent of their population are shinobi. Unlike many of the other villages, Kumo never demilitarized after the war. Be on your guard. We may be here for a simple delivery mission, but this is still foreign territory."

Four curt nods, then the odd group moved in, though Naruto and Harribel were quick to exchange glances before she vanished back into his mind, the water splashing quietly against the rocks before racing across the ground and dancing up his legs into his hip pouch.

Tenten quirked an eyebrow at him, "We may need an element of surprise later on, should things go south. Keep in mind, they were expecting Neji-san, they may be lying in wait."

"But this is a diplomatic mission."

"So was the incident eight years ago." That caused the three standard members of Team Nine to flinch, it was still something that was taboo to talk about around the Hyuuga. "Call me paranoid if you wish, but if this is the same man that ordered the past event, then he would be most eager to get his hands on the son of Hizashi."

Gai's slightly narrowed eyes locked on Naruto, "And how do you know about that…"

"I spent many nights in the Hokage's office when I was younger, that night was one such night. I hid under the desk while many of the involved parties came to their decisions."

All chatter ceased as they approached the main gates, two guards quickly stepping forward, even though you could feel more eyes on you, "Halt! Ninja of the Leaf, what is your purpose here in Kumo?"

Gai stepped forward, extending a scroll bearing their own insignia, though the wrappings were in whites and blues, the agreed on colors for diplomatic messages. "Might Gai, sensei of genin Team Nine, delivering a diplomatic message to the honorable Third Raikage."

The man on the right was quick to move in, taking the scroll and studying it for a moment before giving a curt nod. "Very well. Wait here and you will be escorted to see him."

Gai gave a deep bow before turning back to his team and giving them a wink to help ease their nerves. It didn't take long for the large gates to open, revealing a squad of Kumo's elite ANBU, the only thing setting them apart from their Konoha cousins being the dull yellow sash each bore.

The first, a red band on his right arm denoting his higher rank, stepped forward, "Ambassadors of Konoha, we are honored to have you in Kumogakure, if you will follow us we will take you to the Raikage. He is eagerly awaiting your message."

At once Gai and the others dropped into a deep bow, "You honor us with your escort sir."

For Naruto this was something of a novel experience, his mind was always quick to pick out the best paths for running and hiding, the most venerable place for a prank.

And of course, what would be the most comical.

Still, with his own further training under Gai and Harribel he was seeing the best ways to adapt these tendencies to combat and subterfuge.

What was once a good place for paint bomb became a great place for an explosive tag.

A spot to watch patrols, or to eavesdrop was still as important as any other, it just afforded different justifications.

Where once it was pure fun, now it was mission specific and team beneficial.

Had to love when you blend pleasure and your work…

"So he's not among them."

"No Raigake-sama…"

"And who would that be with them…replacing them…"

The rather pretty assistant swept a bit of hair back into her bun, the silver locks offsetting her darker skin nicely, "Unknown. It seems the blond was substituted onto the team some point between the request to have the documents delivered and now."

The large muscle bound man watched idly as the group made their way up the street before sighing, "Send for A and Bee. I want them here to greet our…guests…"

The woman gave a quick bow before taking several measured steps out of the office, it was getting harder and harder to repress her shudder of disgust for the man, time and again he tried for those damned eyes…yet every time he failed, drawing the village closer and closer to war. She had no doubt that _had_ the boy been with them that in the coming months their village would meet a rather bitter end. Quickly scribbling the summons on a pair of birds she sent them out, silently praying that the time for them all would soon come…

It took longer than she had hoped, but soon the birds were back and she could feel the building shudder as the two large men entered the tower, it was rather comforting to feel that, it let you know exactly who was on the scene, only Bee would smash through like that.

Quickly making her way back to the Kage's office she could hear the heated argument through the door, "What are you playing at this time Zeta, do you honestly still think that their eyes can improve the village that much!"

She let out a sigh as she took a position next to the door, it was always the same…father butting heads with his sons…sometimes literally, "The power of a dojutsu that can see through anything…the ultimate in information gathering, our isolationist tendencies, necessitated by our location, have ensured that such a thing is always a problem. However, the location of the village also makes us one of the easiest to defend, so we simply cannot relocate, and sending out what men we have strictly for such missions would lower the funds coming in. You both know that we don't have the civilian economy that the other villages do, so if we send out to many teams then we will bankrupt ourselves! This is our best course of action!"

"Well Z, it's too bad for you that the kid isn't here then, isn't it?"

The largest of the trio seemed to grunt, "Yes…but if I'm not mistaken there is something more interesting with them…didn't you feel it when it got close?"

"Yo! Who would fail to sense that tail!"

"I swear to Kami Bee…"

"What?"

The young woman let out a tired sigh…it was always the same…"Just tell me…who did it feel like?"

"Unless I'm mistaken Raikage-sama, I believe it to be at least the seven tailed container."

She heard the Kage sigh again, "It's not seven…that beast was held by Taki…it must be the Kyuubi…but why would they send him…"

The young woman perked up as she saw the first of the ANBU round the corner, she quickly knocked on the door and was called in, "My Lord…they have arrived."

He gave a curt nod, "Good, send them in." She bowed and was quick to get the door just as the ANBU was about to knock. If the Black Ops looked surprised they gave nothing away, rapidly stepping aside as they ushered the team inside. The large man grinned, something that looked quite out of place on the normally severe man, "Ah! My friends from Konoha! And Might Gai no less! It is my great honor to welcome you to Kumogakure! I hope your journey was a pleasant one…"

Gai and his team gave a deep bow, "We acknowledge and accept your welcome Raikage-sama. I would like to say that the journey was uneventful; however we did have a run in with bandits several days go. Apparently they were waylaying travelers coming from your great village."

The gathered nin's faces hardened as they took the news, "I see…I'm sorry that you were forced to deal with something that should never have happened in the first place. Please accept my sincerest thanks for your aid."

Gai bowed once more, the others quick to follow suit, "We humbly accept your thanks Sir, you are most welcome, but we saw it as our duty to safeguard the people."

That made the man smirk, "If more believed the same then the world would be a better place. Now then, to business. I believe that you have something for me…"


	9. Chapter 9: Awakening

Disclaimer: I own nothing

AN: Opted just to polish this up and give it a title, new chapter will follow as normal, hopefully soon. Also, for those that noticed that this is a re-post, in addition to taking it down for polish, it was pointed out I had a segment from a video game in it almost exactly, I didnt know that at the time, having gotten it off of a star wars web site with the permission of that site's owner. But the bit was so fitting I didnt want to loose it totally, so I made some changes and left it in, it's not longer exact, but it does keep the same feeling I think. Beyond that, after some digging, I think it's ok to use that small amount under the fair use act, but if people make enough waves I'll try and fix it again.

That said, with this storm continuing to grow, if it gets to bad I'll likely be joining my fellows over at YourFanFiction or Dev Art, some place where folk have better security, or at least are more accepting.

EDIT: Special thanks to Vandenbz for some proofreading, helped with several mistakes ^_^

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Shards  
Chapter 9: Awakening

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_"...he stepped into an ever grander world… I wonder where that will take him"_

– _Tia Harribel_

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The blond teen was currently seated atop one of the large stones overlooking a training ground and the valley beyond. Truly it was a breathtaking sight that the 'duo' had enjoyed as they simply sat, watching the clouds roll in like waves to settle about the peaks before the sun rose fully and burned them away. Naruto had never seen the ocean, but this was, to a point, what he imagined it to be.

A moment more to hold that image in and he turned inward, walking down the dusty streets once more, noticing that the large vines that connected the buildings had swelled even further, the plants seeming to thrum with energy in time with his heartbeat. Even as he moved down the streets, heading to the outskirts of 'town' he felt Harribel fall into step beside him, the two walking in a comfortable silence before finding a clearing with a few trees, all wrapped with rope to use as striking targets.

"Naruto, this leg of your training will undoubtedly be the most...unique. The reason is simple. This training has nothing to do with the physical, or even the mental. It lies solely in the spiritual. Are you prepared?"

"Yes, Tia-chan."

"Very well. Find a place that feels...right to you...then make yourself comfortable, we will be meditating." It didn't take him long; after all, this was his own mind. "Now, feel beyond your own mind, back to the training grounds in which you sit."

Slowly he allowed his mind to drift, coasting past the pained whimpers of the Kyuubi, now growing so faint...past the dark recesses of his own mind, before he felt the gentle touch of the breeze on his skin...the soft rustling of leaves on the wind, the sharp prick of the rough stone on his legs. Beyond that he could...feel...Harribel's words, her very thoughts and feelings washing over him like a lover's caress.

_'Feel the world about you, Naruto. The way that all things are connected, and need one another to survive. To thrive.'_

_'It is like a current that passes through you, and carries you to all the places it touches.'_

_'It is as the clouds, the mists that drift from creature to creature, to all things, set in motion by the currents and eddies of our lives.'_

_'It is the calm within chaos, the passions of all living things turned into song, chorus.'_

_'It is the rising swell at the end of life, the promise of new territories and new blood, the call of new mysteries in the dark.'_

_'This is the feeling that one must strive for to truly connect with all things, both the mundane and the fantastical. The physical and beyond, and what one must find to be able to call forth my friends and allies. What you seek, is the essence of life and nature, the spirit of the Jinn.'_

Naruto's breathing deepened with every phrase, his mind starting to drift with the breeze that caressed his skin, slowly stretching out to feel beyond the training grounds. There...two heartbeats of what had to be the ANBU that were watching him, he expected as much, it would be foolish to allow a foreign nin to wonder about without supervision. There was a small nest of squirrels just above them; he could almost feel the intent as the mother moved in on the duo.

Then he paused, and pushed deeper.

There...the trees...the grass...while it didn't have a true heartbeat...somehow he could _feel_ the life within plants, a dull throb as the fluids flowed within, the all-consuming warmth of the sun on their leaves.

Still, it wasn't enough, he had to go further, he felt his chakra start to swirl about him, first cycling through his own coils before dancing down through the rock before a pulse raced through the earth, the grass bristling even as a small wave of dust washed over the area.

With the rush, wind, earth and chakra raced with his own consciousness, ever expanding.

Searching.

Then a voice...faint...so very faint...

_'ar...ou...Na..to...'_

_'Who...'_

_'...Naruto...'_

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As the pulse of chakra began to flow back to him it seemed to draw those around him closer. The ANBU moving slightly towards the blond even as four others watched from the edge of the training grounds.

"Cool..."

"What...what was that? It's like his chakra tried to take over my own..."

"That's not possible! Did he put us all in genjutsu! Kai!"

"I bet he did! I bet he's trying to use it to take over all our minds! He's going to turn us all against each other then walk out of here with all our secrets!"

Three sets of eyes could only stare at their fourth with slight ticks on their foreheads, "Omoi..."

The young man turned to his red haired teammate, "Ya Kar-"

He suddenly found his face meeting the dirt, "BE SERIOUS!"

The other two could only look to one another and let out tired sighs, "Yugito-sensei, who is that...I've never felt chakra like that..."

The eldest of the group could only give a slight shrug, "Your guess is as good as mine...I've never seen him in the village before...he could be from that Konoha delegation that arrived yesterday."

"Did anyone say he could use our training ground!"

The curvy blond only rolled her shoulders a bit, getting a slight tick from the redhead, "Just be cool Karui, he couldn't have known...and get Omoi up, we'll go kick him out and get to work."

"I don't know...it's not usually a good idea to wake people up that are meditating that deeply...Remember what Bee-sensei said?"

"Yes, but we have little choice, we have to get some practice in before our mission. Just be careful, we don't want to cause an international incident."

Three voices rang out, though one was still a bit muffled from dirt, "Hai, Yugito-sensei!"

* * *

Four heartbeats approached, causing him to rapidly come back to himself, losing that faint voice almost instantly as he stiffened, _'Harribel-chan...what..who was that..and who are they?'_

A great feeling of pride welled up from the blond Espada as she helped guide him back to consciousness, _'That was the first step towards contacting the Jinn, you cannot know how proud I am of you right now Naruto-kun. These are the first steps into true understanding of the world around you. As to the others...I don't know...but one feels...not unlike you...'_

A slight twitch of the brow, '_Kumo is said to have two other containers...perhaps one got curious...we will need to be cautious...'_

His answer was a slight nod before they returned to the real world. Naruto turned to regard the four approaching him, though his movement made them draw up short, "Good...' He took note of the sun before chuckling slightly, 'Afternoon, it would seem. What may I do for you?"

The taller of the group stepped forward, inclining her head slightly. She was a rather attractive blond with her hair pulled back and bound in cloth, making a long ponytail, though it was fairly loose looking, letting it fall into her eyes slightly, a black turtleneck with a pale vest of sorts that seemed like it could double for armor, beads wrapping up her left arm with a matching red sash. Black pants finished the look, but the whole of it hugged her body closely, giving a professional, yet enticing look at the same time.

It seemed most kunoichi enjoyed these distraction tactics. One more reason he was thankful to have someone like Harribel with him, otherwise he could be in trouble...

Harribel could only nod in agreement, she'd seen it happen before. A foolish male being distracted by the flesh, then meeting her blade or foot for his trouble.

"You may not be aware, but this is my team's training ground..."

She made note of the teen's eyes widening slightly, "I see, forgive me. I will depart." He rose in one smooth motion before dropping to the ground.

"You don't have to ask for forgiveness. You are one of the Konoha team, correct? You couldn't have known."

A slight, almost invisible nod of the head was her answer, "You are correct, I am Naruto Uzumaki, a pleasure to meet you."

"Yugito Nii, these are my students, Omoi, Samui and Karui."

He gave a set of nods to each of the teens behind her before turning back to Yugito, "I won't keep you and your team any longer, though if I may, do you know of a place that I may meditate in without further incident?"

With a gesture she called over her team, "Perhaps...if you would be willing to tell me what that pulse was..."

That caught all involved by surprise, "You can't honestly expect me to reveal my training methods..."

A feline grin was his answer, "You can't blame a girl for trying, it never hurts to ask, does it?"

His eyes closed in silent thought for a moment before chuckling, the oddly hollow sound sending a chill up the groups spines, "You're correct, it never hurts to ask.' His eyes curled into a smile, 'But what would you offer me in return? You don't expect directions to be worth a training method..."

To the group's surprise it was Samui that stepped forward, "Why not a lesson in the blade?"

"I already have a master for that art..."

"Yeah, right, there are no swordsmen in Konoha..."

Naruto arched a brow at the redhead's outburst, "None that you know of apparently..."

"Is that so...then what's his name?"

"She is not part of the Konoha roster."

That caused a few raised eyebrows, he wasn't being trained by a leaf nin? "So you're not trained by your own? Who are you actually loyal to then! Kiri? Iwa?"

Naruto could only look at the dark skinned boy with mild confusion, "You're not all there...are you?"

Karui's blade came free, "HEY! Only _we_ get to make fun of him!"

Naruto rose slightly to the balls of his feet even as Yugito tensed, "There is no need for hostility...I will go."

"_Karui..._"

She flinched slightly at her sensei's tone, "B-But-"

"Karui, be cool."

"Samui-chan..."

"Enough, all of you. Uzumaki-san, I apologize for my team's behavior, there is a training ground a mile to the east that should be free for the rest of the day. Perhaps later on we will have a more...civil encounter..."

Much to their surprise the blond teen only chuckled, "Actually, from what I recall of history, this was actually a rather tame incident. Until next time." Without further comment he turned on his heel and jumped up to a tree before moving to the east, rapidly becoming a white speck, though still visible from their own grounds.

"Hmm...He kept his cool...you could learn from him..."

Yugito rounded on the three with a scowl, "Samui has a point. Karui, you will be sparing with me, and as punishment afterwards you will be doing one thousand strikes with the added weight. Be glad that he didn't take offence for your little stunt!"

"But he-"

"Spoke his mind, something you know _quite_ well. You drew your sword against an unknown opponent and could have caused an international incident! There are repercussions for your actions!"

The girl seemed to deflate under her sensei's withering gaze, "Y-Yes sensei..."

"Now then. Samui and Omoi start with kata number four.' With a slow, hand she drew her blade, 'Karui..."

* * *

"Report."

"Raikage-sama, a strange chakra pulse was detected from the container at fourteen hundred, after which the team headed by one Yugito Nii had a confrontation with the boy. Reports state that genin Karui drew her weapon against him after a comment made about her team mate, however it did not escalate further as the jinchuuriki, after a few more words, moved off to an unoccupied training ground to continue his meditations, however there were no other pulses felt from him after the initial occurrence."

The elderly leader steepled his fingers as he considered his options...the best chance he had was to lure the teen into a false sense of security..."Send for Yugito's team. I have a mission for them..."

"Yes sir." The silver haired attendant quickly sent for the requested team even as Zeta called for one of his hidden guards to come out.

"Send for the suppression team, I want an eighteen tag array ready for when we spring the trap. Have Bee and A ready to move against Gai, they will be more than enough to handle him."

"Sir!" with a shower of sparks the ANBU was gone.

The man didn't bother hiding the grin that spread across his lips, after the capture of the nine tails host he would be ready, his son and the boy would be perfect breeders to ensure a future bloodline for the village, while it was no byakugan the promise was still a solid one, especially with Yugito as the partner for the boy, he knew he couldn't force his son into fucking the little bitch, for some reason he treated her like a little sister, but the boy...

"One week...One more week and we will be well on our way to becoming the strongest nation in the world..."

His laughter was long and loud, and while it couldn't be heard beyond the tower, for one young blond woman, she couldn't help but feel the odd chill race up her spine.

* * *

"Where the fuck have you been?"

"Accomplishing our goal."

Not for the first time Nel cursed her lot in this life. While she was grateful for the new body, something about the pale man just made her skin crawl, though he had been nothing but kind to her. Still, after being locked away for so long in her own mask she had never expected to awaken with her body and mask fully restored. The odd man had even found a way to restore her spiritual power to her, something she had yet to encounter in this world thus far, and seemed to thoroughly fascinate the man to no end. So he felt the need to study her, and to that end he had appointed an...apprentice from his personal guard.

The red head though could really get on her nerves with her constant swearing...

"Wait, you found the ring! _Already!_"

"Of course, it was simple enough to find him, his speed was nothing special..."

"Damn..." For Tayuya, despite how much she may have wanted to deny it, she looked up to this woman. She was, without a doubt, the strongest woman she could ever imagine, even the great sannin Tsunade couldn't hold a candle to her. Why would she ever want to heal an injury when she could wipe out a mountain range? "So when are you going to show me some of the shit you do?"

"When you learn to calm down and stop cursing."

"Well shit..."

"Indeed."

"So who's the next target?"

"Orochimaru-sama suggested that I go after his former partner...the man uses...puppets?"

The red head seemed to be lost in thought for a moment before her eyes sparked with recognition, "Ah! That fucker, ya, Orochimaru-sama ranted about him all the time, something about not being able to get his hands on one of his puppets...if you want brownie points I suggest you bring that back with you."

"If there is anything left, I will do so. How is your illusion training?"

Tayuya smirked at that, "Great, the new flute is working perfectly. Say, you could at least show me how to fight with a sword, couldn't you?"

After a moment of thought the green haired woman gave a slight nod, "I could, though only the base style, I do not yet know if you can learn any of my...higher techniques..."

Both hands pumped as a mad grin spread across her face, "Fuck ya! I'm ready when you are!"

That brought a smile to her, "Patience, we need to find you a blade first."

"Damn."

"Heh...and it will have to be a unique one...if it wants to stand up to my Gamuza..."

"So where do we start?"

A single finger came to rest on her chin as she looked away, a rather innocent expression enveloping her, "The obvious choice would be to find the location with the best smiths."

"That's the Land of Iron!"

Nel blinked owlishly for a moment, there actually was such a place? A moment later her lips curled into a slight smile, "Alright, lead the way."

Tayuya could only grin savagely at the thoughts of her training, and the opportunity to put the others of the Sound Four in their place! She was looked down on for using her illusions, well in the end she would be the one with the last laugh, the strongest woman in the world was her sensei, and she wasn't about to squander this chance!

After all, who could be stronger than Nel!

* * *

Naruto lurched slightly as he made to grab his chopsticks, _'Tia-chan?'_

Said woman discreetly wiped at her nose, _'Excuse me...'_

_'I didn't think you could do that in there...'_

_'What is the saying...perhaps someone is talking about me?'_

_'It's possible.'_

_'You need to apologize to that girl you know.'_

The blond teen gave a small nod before turning back to his food, in an effort to find a midpoint he only had a single bowl of ramen as well as some of the local fare, namely a roasted rabbit and native vegetables, he knew that Harribel didn't care as much for the soup, and seeing as she couldn't order her own at the moment...However even as the first bit of food was picked up he saw the doors to the restaurant open before the object of his conversation entered, _'As though summoned by our thoughts...'_

_'Maybe it's a sign? Motion them over, it would be a good opportunity to...bury the hatchet?'_

With an almost lazy wave the group gave a small smile before heading his way, well, two smiled, one was busy with his candy, the last looked almost asleep. "Well well, small world!"

He gave another of his odd nods, "Indeed. If you like, feel free to join me, it seems this place is rather popular tonight..." and it was, Naruto's rather large table being one of the only ones left when he was seated.

"Considering how we met, and how that ended, it's pretty cool of you to offer." She was a bit surprised to see the teen rise and pull out the chairs for herself, Yugito and Karui, though the last could only slump onto the table in exhaustion.

"It seems you were rather hard on her...for my part in it I apologize, this is my first time in another village, but it is little excuse to cause trouble. If I may make it up to you, let me buy you all dinner."

Omoi grinned as he crunched the last of his sucker quickly, "That's awesome! We haven't had a mission in a week! I was starting to think that I'd go hungry, you don't know what it's like having to rely on her cooking!"

Karui blushed hotly, but couldn't muster the energy to smack the boy.

That didn't stop Yugito though, "Baka, I've told you, stop speaking a sentence or two earlier, it would lessen your injuries! Naruto-san, thank you for the offer, but we can't impose o-"

He held up his hand once more, "No, I insist, and don't think that it will be an imposition to me,' his eyes curled in another smile, 'I'm on a mission, so it's all written off as expenses..."

That caused a round of laughter, even from the almost sleeping redhead who had moved to rest her head on crossed arms. The group quickly made their orders even as some settled more into the chairs, the blond with the pixie cut rolled her shoulders with a small grunt as she tried to use the chair back to alleviate the pain.

However, she was also keeping a keen eye on the teen across from her, and was a bit surprised to see he wasn't ogling her.

Not that she knew, but he _had_ seen a woman with a more curvaceous figure.

_'You could offer to help.'_

That made him freeze, his food stopped half way to his mouth, his confusion so consuming he almost lost his henge, _'Sorry, I think I had some crazy in my ear. What!'_

Inside he could almost feel her annoyance, it took a lot to knock him out of his new, higher, thought processes, but apparently she found the plateau. _'You heard me. Offer to help.'_

_'How?'_

_'Speaking from experience, large breasts are not the boon that men seem to think they are, they can cause a great deal of pain and discomfort, not to mention a lack of agility. Offer a back rub, and insist that her sensei be present to alleviate her concerns.'_

He noticed the odd looks he got from the others and made to continue eating, a very slight tremble to his chopsticks as a mild panic began to settle in, _'And how in the nine hells would you suggest I approach such a subject, we all almost came to blows earlier!'_

_'Women, even the toughest of us, at times want to be pampered. Make the offer, worst case scenario she says no, she doesn't strike me as the type that would attack you for a genuine offer.'_

_'May I remind you I don't know __**how**__ to give a back rub!'_

_'Listen to what I say, and you will succeed.'_

_'And why, in Kami's green earth, would you want me to even ask? How can we trust them?'_

_'Truthfully we cannot. However...I suppose I feel...sympathy for her...'_

Naruto sat in silence for a moment, his hands moving mechanically to continue eating, _'Very well...I can't say no to you after all, Tia-chan.'_

Inwardly she was glad she wasn't with him at the moment, as she was sure her blush managed to rise past her collar.

He let out a very real sigh as he steeled himself for what was to come, the act seeming to draw the attention of those at the table with him. Omoi had been taunting Karui with a dango stick even as Yugito was sipping at her sake'. Samui, on the other hand, had ordered a fried rice dish but had only picked at it, he had seen the rigidness in her movements and the twinge in her arms, it made her almost dump some of the rice in her lap, something she was silently cursing.

_'Death comes to us all...'_ "Samui-san?' She cocked an eyebrow, 'Forgive me for asking, but are you alright? It seems like you are in pain."

She gave a small shrug, "It's nothing."

"It's not 'nothing' if it prevents you from eating."

She eyed him for a moment before letting out a sigh of her own, "It's my shoulders, by the end of the day they are usually sore, it's cool."

"I could help, if you like. My sensei has...similar issues..."

That put Yugito and Omoi on guard, big brother/sister modes kicking in, "Now wait just a-"

The platinum blond only narrowed her eyes, "You think that I would believe that?"

Naruto didn't answer, only bringing his hands up to slowly go through hand signs, making sure they knew he wasn't doing anything that would be seen as a threat, the henge was common to every village after all. With a puff of smoke half the restaurant was struck dumb even as Omoi was blown back with a nose bleed. Where Naruto once was now his sensei sat looking rather bored at the whole affair, before Naruto returned to normal. "I do not lie when I say that my sensei knows your pain. While I do not have to help her with her pain, as she knows a clone technique and can tend to herself should she wish, I think she would scold me if I didn't offer to help."

He could feel her chuckle in his head, _'Already did.' _Though some part of her, deep down, took the 'should she wish' and married it with 'I can't say no to you'...

She hadn't considered that...

Samui was still looking on in surprise for a solid minute, only to be shaken from her stupor when Karui's soft snore distracted her. "I-I suppose I could accept..."

Naruto gave a small nod, "Very well. Yugito-san, would you care to accompany us? I'm sure she would be more comfortable with a friend there, and should you desire I could extend to you the same courtesy I am offering her."

The elder blond could only blink for a moment before smirking, "Alright, but you do me in the form of your sensei!"

Poor Omoi found himself on the floor once more at the mental image, meanwhile both Naruto and Harribel shared the same thought.

_'Interesting...'_

* * *

"What do you mean _he's not here!"_

"W-Well team nine had their mission out of the village, they left a little over two weeks ago."

"When will they be back!"

"Maybe...two more weeks?"

The raven haired teen could only scowl into the distance as he remembered his defeat. He hadn't even seen the dobe move! If he had improved that much in only a month then what had _he_ been doing this whole time! Squandering his training? He knew Kakashi had been keeping him back after the practices for private tutelage, and while a part of himself felt bad about it he knew it was for a greater good, so he could find and kill _him_!

"W-Well...Sasuke-kun...I was wondering..."

"No."

The pinkette could only flinch at the cold tone before her gaze drifted to the memorial stone, her sensei's words flitting through her mind. "Sasuke-kun, I wasn't going to ask that...I was wondering if you wanted to work on our taijutsu...I could use some help..."

The boy beside her snorted before glancing at his 'teammate', watching her shift slightly under his withering gaze, "I suppose...but don't think I'll hold back on you."

Just as they were making to rise a swirl of leafs appeared between the two, "Yo!"

The girl managed to fight down the urge to jump before sending a death glare, "YOU'RE LATE!"

"Sorry, I had a meeting with a movie producer to make my life story."

"LIAR!"

Even Sasuke had to grumble at the poor excuse, that would be one of the worst movies ever made...three action scenes then a pervert reading by a stone...lame. "So, are you all ready for your mission?"

"But were missing one, where's Sai?" She may not have liked the creepy boy much, but he was still their teammate.

"Sai has business with his father today, so it will just be the three of us I'm afraid, but that's alright, we don't need a third for the mission I have planned."

The two teens held glares that could almost make his headband melt.

Sometimes it was good to be the teacher.

"Alright, were headed to the Higarashi Weapons Emporium, we're taking a store inventory for the owner, it seems his daughter is on a mission and she's normally the one that handles it."

Sakura deflated slightly even as Sasuke's eyes grew colder, when were _they_ going to get a cool mission?


	10. Chapter 10: Prelude

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or Bleach, or any other material I might be drawing upon.

AN: I live! I know you all were hoping for more, but I thought it better to get something out to show you all that I'm not dead yet. Anyway, Here's the next bit, plan on updating Shadowmancer next (Been like a year :P) so keep an eye out. As an aside, Bee sucks to write for :P

EDIT: Had a plot hole pointed out to me by Masked Critic, had to fix it.  
EDIT 2: Not sure how that type of Gai got through...I blame my spell check :P

* * *

Shards  
Chapter 10: Prelude

* * *

_"...of all the things I've seen in my career, I've never seen anything so un-youthful...To attack your own like that..."  
-Maito Gai_

* * *

A soft, sensual moan echoed through the room…

This was a new experience for him.

A soft hiss drifted to his ears as he found a particularly sensitive spot…

He had never once thought he'd find himself in a bedroom with one woman let alone three, he was still rather young after all, although he could hope...

"Oh Kami! Yes! Right there!"

"Hmmm...How can you find them… find every one… it's not humanly possible..."

The only male in the room give a small grin, not that they could see it, his voice low and even so as not to disturb them more than he had to, "I had a good teacher."

The fourth in the room, and oddly enough she was blonde as well, gave him a slight nod, a way of thanks.

Stranger still was the fact that the eldest of the two currently on the bed had actually invited him to her home, it seems that she believed that if he'd gotten 'fresh' with either of them that she would be more than enough to deal with him.

Currently the sole male in the room was kneeling closer to the foot of the bed, with Samui laid out before him, her supple form draped across the narrow of the bed, her head resting on her crossed arms with her eyes closed as she seemed to be fighting the urge to turn into goo under his fingers.

Next to her Yugito was splayed out, close but not touching her fellow kunoichi, however it seemed as though she given up all pretense of professionalism, and was reduced to a purring, quivering, mass of flesh.

Opposite of him, at the head of the bed, was a clone he had created of warm water currently in the form of his sensei, Harribel.

He knew he was probably going to catch hell for that, revealing the fact that he had a clone technique to a potential enemy, however he knew he was asking for a lot of their trust when it came to this massage, so he felt the need to at least offer up that small amount.

Not that that was going to make his sensei any happier...

It had already been over half an hour and yet, with the small amount of knowledge that Harribel was constantly giving him, he seemed to simply find more and more spots.

The small of the back.

Shoulder blades.

Calves.

Even sections of their arms and hands were riddled with knots.

A part of wondered how many he might have…

However, by far the most bound up area on the duo was Samui's shoulders, from the junction of her neck clear to the lower edge of her shoulder blade was a solid mass of tension. The tissue so tight and knot ridden he was shocked that the act of taking a breath hadn't crippled her with pain.

Keeping his voice low he'd asked her a few questions, like why she hadn't been to see anyone who could have helped her with her troubles.

Her answer, though bit hard to understand through her contented mumblings, was somewhat depressing to the duo, it seems she didn't trust some of those in her own village enough to so much has enter the public baths without her teammates to watch for gawkers.

He knew she was attractive, any fool could see that, however to have so little trust in your fellows that you couldn't go somewhere to even see to your physical health…

It seemed he wasn't the only one of the bit of trouble in his village.

That was something else that had surprised him, in addition to hearing their appreciative moans they seem to forget exactly which village he was a part of. Opting, for a time, to grumble tiredly about the goings-on around them.

Their Kage's obsession with bloodlines.

The lack of any decent men, or in the case of Yugito, women.

Their own limitations and training, as well as Yugito's friend's obsession with rapping…

And he thought Gai-sensei had a unique habit...

The conversation hadn't been entirely one-way, despite Naruto's insistence that he was trying to stay quiet so they could relax, as it seemed the duo were more than interested in figuring out where he had learned to do this, where he met his sensei, why she wasn't on this mission, really anything that they could think of at the time.

It was obvious to him that they weren't trying to be invasive with their questions, at first it was more of a nervous twitch, after which, according to Harribel, it seemed as though they simply wanted to get to know him better, in some ways a thank you for what he was doing for them.

He answered as best he could, obviously not able to give them all the information they're or wanting, hell most of his own team didn't know the truth about Harribel and his own… unique situation.

He relayed to them is invented story, with Harribel's help of course, about how he encountered the foreign warrior as she was having trouble buying supplies in town, her unique form of currency having next to no exchange-rate in Konoha. Upon helping her, he told them, he had learned about her quest to find her missing friends and his offer to help her by at least offering her a place to stay in the rather empty apartment building he resided in.

However, much to their annoyance, he refused to go in any form of detail about what he'd been learning from her other than the basics, physical conditioning and the like.

When pressed about the chakra pulse that they had experienced earlier that day he could only give them a half shrug, as one of his hands was busy while the other was fetching lotion, stating that he himself had no idea how he'd done it at the time, all he been doing was meditating, trying to sense the flow of chakra within his own body.

They however were bit more forthcoming however. Letting the blond know exactly how the pulse had felt to them, as though his chakra or enveloping and even penetrating into their own coils at the time, and when it raced back to him it felt as though they were being drawn in with it.

That caused Naruto to arch an eyebrow, the idea that such a pulse could have affected so many and in such profound ways was almost alien to him. However, Harribel was quick to tell him that sometimes, even in the heat of battle, the feelings that one expressed could be translated into their fists, so why couldn't it be that something so much more personal, like chakra, do the same thing?

Still, part of him knew he couldn't keep this… relationship… going much longer, after all he would be leaving in a few days, and while he never had many friends growing up, the thought of making some only to have to leave them immediately thereafter was painful to him, a pain he wasn't going to allow himself to experience if he could help it.

Although Harribel was quick to admonish him for the thought, having been alone much of the time in both her past lives, she knew very well the value of friendship, it was just that she was very careful about who she picked as her friends, making sure they were the type that would never betray her, and that she would never betray in turn.

Aside from Harribel, Naruto wondered if he would ever have such people in his life…

The stray thought saddening the former Espada, although she hoped that when he found the proper vessels for her fraccion that the four might be able to form such a bond.

Only time would tell.

* * *

While Naruto was experiencing what could be considered a dream come true for many a man, his team sensei was having a rather unique encounter of his own... Before him was the very tall, dark skinned, incredibly strong looking, son of the Third Raikage.

The man was huge, at least six and a half feet tall, and muscled to the point that it looked as though he could lift a bull with little effort.

The man had pale white hair in the style of cornrows, a set of dark glasses obscuring his eyes, and most surprisingly a unique holster of sorts that bore seven swords.

Stranger still, was the man's insistence on rapping, it seemed he had the need to string together every few sentences into a bad rhyme.

Although he was hardly one to talk about strange behavior, he knew how most of the village viewed him, eccentric at least and utterly insane at the worst, but this was downright odd.

"Might Gai, no need to be shy, the Green Beast of the Leaf is famous beyond belief!"

"Killer Bee! The most youthful swordsman of Kumo! It is my great joy to meet you! How may I be of service to you on this most youthful day!"

The larger man let out a hearty laugh before extending his fist, "Callin' me Bee would be my plea, and a fight my delight!"

The grin on Gai's face grew larger, if at all possible, even as Lee was bouncing on the balls of his feet behind his mentor, it almost looked as though the boy was about to jump out of his spandex. "A most youthful suggestion Bee-san! This would be a superb chance to demonstrate a high level match between ninja! Tell me, do you have a youthful team?"

Bee just gave a deep chuckle as he shrugged, "A team would be a dream, but for now it is disallowed!" The man seemed to freeze at that before pulling a small notepad from his hip pouch and quickly writing a few things, mumbling under his breath about his off rhyme.

The act, if anything made Lee all the happier, pulling his own pad from under his wrist wrappings, "Gai-sensei! This most youthful man has inspired me! He endeavors to make even his speech more youthful! Bee-san! Please, teach me your ways!"

Tears flowed from the two taller men, one thrilled at the furthering of youth, the other at the fact that someone was willing to follow in his footsteps.

Unknown to the trio, the last two members of their team felt a shudder run up their spines.

* * *

The pinkette could only grind her teeth in frustration as she moved methodically around the little store. This was hardly the kind of work she thought she would be doing when she first became a ninja. She, like many, had thought that they would be going to distant, exotic lands to save nobles and merchants, to overthrow dictators and free nations.

Not clean stores, walk dogs and babysit children.

Still, a part of her was a bit more worried as to exactly _why_ she and her squad had been dispatched here in the first place. They were told that the shop owners daughter was out of the village on a mission, however to her it didn't explain why the father coulldn't have taken care of the inventory himself, or the mother for that matter.

When she arrived she had learned a bit more of the truth.

The man was more of a drunkard than anything. His body was once something that many could be proud of, once strong and lean from working the forge. Now only his arms shown what he once was. The rest of him, while not flabby, couldn't be called lean either.

Thick, that seemed like a good description.

When they had shown up at the storefront they were a bit taken aback when the one who answered wasn't the fresh-faced shop owner they were expecting, instead it was a man who was unshaven, unwashed, and still had what looked like bits of vomit on his clothing and beard.

He had only taken a cursory look at the group before stepping aside and allowing them in then simply vanished.

They had their orders, and for Sakura, she was wondering if that man was responsible for the mission request at all…

With a heavy sigh she took back up the oiled rag and started moving almost as in a trance as she cleaned rack after rack of weapons, letting her mind wonder was a common occurrence for her, her higher intellect demanded nothing less. The lack of sounds from the forge was almost otherworldly for such a shop, the fact that she really didn't have a supervisor, someone to make sure that the newly minted genin didn't steal anything or damage the stock, was a bit of a surprise. Still, she was honest, and it was lucky for them that she was, she wouldn't put it past some of the graduates to see something 'cool' and try and claim it.

The only sounds being the odd perverse giggle from her sensei the occasional question from Sasuke.

And something more, something she was only just able to make out coming from above the store in a small apartment that lie there.

The sounds of a man crying.

* * *

Dust flew as two bodies rolled through the earth, one intentionally, the other not so much.

Red hair, tangled and dust filled was tossed aside as dusky skinned woman kipped up to her feet once more, the other still in the middle of his forward roll suddenly reversed his momentum when his feet again hit the earth, launching himself high into a slow back flip even as Karui returned to standing. Her eyes were on the place she had expected him to be, never noticing his sudden aerial maneuver.

Only her experience and training to this point had her raise her arm in time to block the kick aimed at her head, her arm quickly trapping it even as she turned, eyes slightly wide in surprise at the kids moves.

"Your reaction time is impressive, I thought I finally had the advantage on you…"

The redhead smirked, "Unlike you, I've been a genin for over a year; this is the first time you've left your village right? Must be scary to be out in the big world eh?" Her taunt looked to fall on deaf hear however, that high coat and almost bored look in his eyes was more than enough to infuriate her.

Even after all this time Yugito wasn't able to drive that short temper from the girl.

"And that time has served you well; however, the battlefield is no place for speeches."

With a snarl the redhead funneled chakra into her limbs, lifting the blond bodily from the ground and turning hard, slinging the young man to the ground.

Or so she had hoped.

One hand lashed out to impact the earth before his head would, stopping his momentum suddenly and causing golden eyes to widen in shock, Harribel had been putting him through his paces well, those one handed inverted pushups doing wonders for him.

Her shock was short-lived however as she found her vision filled with the bottoms of his sandals, both feet having been drawn back to lash back out, landing a brutal twin kick to her face.

Karui's form rolled several feet before she forced herself to her hands and knees, narrowed eyes looking back at her opponent, only to find him already moving back toward her at remarkable speeds. Not wasting a moment the girl dropped back to her haunches and sent a brace of kunai his way, forcing him change direction before coming to a stop. "Interesting…"

The dusky skinned woman rose to her full height, "What! What is 'interesting'! You say that _all the time_!"

He simply quirked an eyebrow, had he really been doing that? "Would you prefer noteworthy? I was simply going to comment that you had wanted a taijutsu spar."

"And?"

"And you brought knives to this fight.." She twitched a bit at that, as did her sensei on the sidelines.

"W-Well…"

"Am I to understand then that…the rules have changed?" Slowly the teen started reaching for his sword, making the girl gulp.

"N-Now Naruto-san, there's no need for that, it's just a reflex, you know, you use what you have."

The blond sent a sideways glance to the boy of their team, a small nod was all he received. This had started so simply. After the massage he had walked with the girls back to the training ground they had first met, only to see the scowling face of the woman now opposite him, she'd looked livid, something about him being a pervert and just trying to get the others alone.

Seems she wasn't all there in the restaurant before, well, even less than he suspected.

After some heated words from her sensei and a sideways glance from Samui, the most he was expecting from the woman, he had apologiZeta for worrying her, and asked how he could make it up to her. That had started this whole affair, and while there was no true victor as of yet, they had been learning a lot about one another.

It was strange, almost philosophical in a way, the way he seemed to be able to…understand her through her fists. He could feel her anger, but more than that was a level of fear, not of him, but for the women he had arrived with. After a few blows that fear changed to excitement, then simple joy, though she never seemed to crack a smile once, he could tell she was having a ball.

He had to admit, he was feeling the same. He had learned it from Lee, Gai and Tia some time ago, that you could take joy, and dare he say, pleasure from a fight, at least one that you knew was 'safe' that your life wasn't on the line.

The only pause to this had been the kunai, and even then it was hardly malicious, it was instinct, something he knew all too well, and he wasn't about to fault her for it.

"Yugito-san, please, there is no need. I probably would have done the same in her position. Now then, shall we continue, or do you wish to call it a day?"

At that the redhead smirked, "Please, we're just getting started!" She rushed forward, her arms hanging back behind her as so many shinobi are prone to do before, much to his surprise, she sent low, throwing herself into a foot-first slide that very nearly took his feet out from under him, instead it forced him to hop into the air, a place he should never be.

In a move that was shockingly familiar to him she kicked hard with one foot, launching her lower half higher and letting her other foot catch him in the floating rib.

With a wince he was sent sprawling across the training ground, though his lessons from Tia had been well earned, her follow up attack met only air as he was already on his feet and at the ready, throwing a hard knee up to the teen's midsection which was blocked with crossed forearms. Not to be detoured he used her arms as a brace, pushing off with enough force to lift him bodily from the ground, his left leg coming across to impact the girl's shoulder. Not a hard hit, but one that certainly staggered her. Not one to waste an opportunity his hands came around the back of her head and pulled her head down onto his knee.

Karui's eyes were wide in shock as she could only look at white cloth, the blow having stopped so close her nose tickled from the slightly frayed fibers, the shock more than enough to drive the adrenalin from her body and making her collapse to the ground. Naruto's hands quickly shifted to her shoulders to gently guide her down. "Seems this was my win Karui-san, I must admit though, you are impressive. Adapting and using my own taijutsu in the midst of combat…my sensei would be most impressed, both of them."

Shaky eyes met his as her breathing came back under control, the redhead quickly scrambling away from him before taking her ready stance once more. "Again!"

It was faint, but she could see his eyes curl slightly into a smile, "My sensei would absolutely love you." With that, the two charged once more, their clash something that was making the three observing wince.

And one former Espada to set her mind to work.

* * *

"My Lord, the teams are in position. The ambush will take place at the Shio Tani, the valley walls there are too unstable to allow for surface walking, and the tighter quarters will limit Gai and his apprentices' maneuverability. Once dealt with the suppression teams will strike from the plateau above with the initial chakra seals. Thereafter the team will move in with the stronger secondary seals. Our biggest obstacles will be Maito Gai and Yugito-san. The seals we will be utilizing, when in array as they will be, can bring down even the six tail if our tests on Bee-sama can be judged, as such Yugito-san will be of little use when the field is activated. However, it is known that Gai-san can open the eight inner gates, and while the seal array can help to suppress that chakra, he, the primary target, and Yugito may be enough to overwhelm the initial arrays."

Zeta leaned forward in his chair, both hands brought up in a loose grasp before his mouth as he looked at the proposed attack plan. It was solid, but as with any high ranked mission there were variables that couldn't be accounted for. What was the rate in which Gai could open the gates? Would Yugito suspect something and suggest a different route? Would she spot the trap and get out from under the array, forcing his ANBU to deal with an enraged jinkurichi who had complete control over her beast?

It was all in question, however, it was their best bet, and with him subtlety suggesting the valley as their best way back then he was certain that they would follow.

Good little sheep, always listening to a kage…

"Very well, contact Gai and let him know that the scroll be will be ready in the morning, we'll strike while the mists hang in the valley, that will help to shield our teams from detection." The ANU snapped a quick salute before collecting his maps and exiting the room, Zeta paid him no mind, he ad already turned to overlook his village. In time, he knew they would have what they needed.

In time…


End file.
